Count the Days
by WritePassion
Summary: Michael never gets sick, but when he does, he discovers just how fragile he is. Time is fleeting, but how can a spy who's spent so much of it searching for the truth switch gears and focus on himself and what he's always wanted to do and enjoy?
1. Chapter 1

****_Burn Notice: I don't own it, I just like to play with it!_

**Count the Days**

By WritePassion

Even after he was burned, Michael Westen kept himself in shape and rarely, if ever, got sick. He'd been under so much stress the past few years, it was a wonder that nothing had ever happened to him outside of being injured. So when he woke up one morning feeling like he hadn't gone to bed for a week, and just raising his head sent a spike of pain through his body, he was concerned. Not worried. He wouldn't overreact. He couldn't let Fiona know, though. She would surely overreact, get on his case, and make him see a doctor.

It was stress. Yes, that's all it was. Once he got himself up, popped a few aspirin and dressed for the outing he and Fi were taking with Sam and Elsa, he'd be feeling a lot better.

"Michael, you should be up," Fiona scolded with a light tone as she walked past the bed toward the kitchen. "Sam and Elsa will be here in less than a half hour."

"Oh." It came out more like a groan than a word as Michael sat upright and dropped his feet off the side of the bed.

Fiona turned from the refrigerator and stared at him. "Are you okay? Are you sick?"

"Me? No! You know me, I never get sick." He rubbed his eyes and massaged his forehead. "Just got a headache, that's all. The weather is changing. Pressure changes. You know how that is."

Fiona nodded. "Uh huh." She didn't believe it any more than he did, but she knew he wouldn't sit still for being cared for. That was just his way. "I'll get you something for that headache if you get yourself ready."

After taking the aspirin and a hot shower in that order, he did feel better. Still sort of dragged out, but he could at least stand and be active. He was tying his shoes when a knock sounded on the door followed by the creak of the hinge.

"Hey, everybody decent in here," Sam asked as he poked his head in through the open doorway.

"We're just about ready to go," Fiona answered with a smile, although she couldn't help but glance at Michael sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Great!" Sam ushered Elsa inside, and she looked around the loft, examining it thoroughly. She had never been there before. Sam tried to describe it to her, but he didn't do it justice.

She smiled at Fiona. "I love it. Really eclectic."

"Thanks. Last year after I lost all my stuff in an explosion, I had to start from scratch. Well, I still had some things left."

"Like the snow globe collection." Sam piped up. "Good thing you hadn't moved those yet."

"Yes."

Elsa's eyes flitted over the shelves brimming with snow globes. "Very nice. It reminds me of a gold and platinum base I saw in Italy once. The globe itself was made from crystal. A stunning piece." Elsa and Fiona conversed about the globes, while Michael prepared to stand. Sam stood nearby studying him. Michael looked up at his friend and the slitted eyes and set mouth clued Michael in that Sam knew something was wrong. He didn't even have to ask, but he did.

"Are you okay, brother?" Sam approached Michael, placed himself between him and the women, and asked in a low tone. They'd known each other for too long. It was impossible to hide much from him, but that didn't stop Michael from trying.

"I'm fine. Just a headache, that's all. Please, don't make a big deal out of it." To prove that he was okay, Michael pushed himself up into a standing position. His eyes widened slightly when a bout of dizziness hit him, but he quickly recovered. Sam's eyes squinted even more. "Hey, it's okay. I think I just had a rough night last night. Once we get out on those bikes, I'll be fine. Really!"

"That'll teach ya to have a late night run for some Indian food," Sam teased.

Michael could still taste the curry in his mouth. "I'll be right back." He retreated to the bathroom to finish getting himself ready.

Meanwhile, Sam joined the ladies at the bar for some orange juice. "Thanks, Fi." He took a sip of his. "What's up with Mikey?"

"He said he just had a headache."

"You don't really believe that, do you? He stood up and I thought he was going to fall over." He took another sip and his head turned at the sound of something banging against the bathroom door. He set his glass down and pushed away from the bar. "You think he's okay in there?" Water ran for a few seconds and stopped. Sam relaxed his shoulders.

"Michael has been under a lot of stress lately," Elsa said as she looked at Fiona and Sam. "You all have. I think this outing is the best thing for him right now, as long as he can get his mind off his work."

Fiona let out a snort. "The only way that will happen is if he's flat on his back, sedated." She leaned forward and gave Elsa a sly smile. "Michael is married to his work. I'm just the mistress."

"Aw, Fi, come on. You don't really mean that!" Sam looked into her eyes, and he could see that she believed it, at least partially. "He's going to do it some day soon, I just know it."

Fiona patted Sam's arm. "Thanks, Sam. You just keep..."

The bathroom door opened and Michael came out looking like he had a little more color. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's do it!" Sam took Elsa's hand and they led the way out of the loft. Michael and Fiona followed, and they all got into Sam's Cadillac. He drove them to the beachfront, where the four rented bicycles.

Elsa and Fiona strapped baskets to the racks on their bikes, and they were ready to roll. Michael and Fiona led the way side by side, and Sam and Elsa followed in the same formation on a path designed for bikers and pedestrian traffic. As they continued south, the sun beat down on them but the breeze off the ocean wicked the perspiration from their skin, making it seem not so hot. The air seemed to make Michael feel better.

"I've been thinking, Fi. After this... stuff... is all over, maybe we should move. Leave Miami. Go someplace where there aren't any mosquitos, at least." He slapped at a bug that landed on his arm. "And these lovebugs. I hate 'em."

"Sorry, I'm not moving to Antarctica," Fiona responded. "I like it here in Miami. Besides, what about your Mum? She's just starting to talk to you. Leaving would strain your relationship all over again."

"Yeah. I don't know if it'll ever be the same." He looked straight ahead and kept riding.

"What about your friends? What about Sam and Jesse?"

"Did you say something, Fi?" Sam asked from his position a few feet behind Michael.

"Nothing, Sam." Fiona glanced back and waited until he and Elsa were engaged in conversation again. Then she turned back to Michael. "See that?"

"What?"

"Sam is your best friend."

"You're my best friend," Michael said with a grin aimed at her, and he reached out and grabbed her hand and squeezed it on the handlebar.

"Michael, stop that!" She shook him off and gave him a stern look.

"Hey you two, behave yourselves up there!"

Elsa laughed at Sam's exclamation.

"Anyway," Fiona resumed her train of thought. "My point is, you have too much here to just up and leave."

"Maybe it would help to erase some of the bad memories if we went somewhere else and made new ones."

"We can do that just as easily here," Fiona countered.

Michael's smile was as bright as the sun beaming down on them. "Fi, why do I even try to argue with you sometimes? That Irish stubbornness is just too much." He looked at her. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mich... look out!" She put on her brakes.

Michael's head whipped around and he saw the loose dog running into his path. He put on the brakes, held his breath and hoped for the best. The dog slipped past, but Michael's front tire caught the trailing leash. It whipped up, caught in the spokes, and sent him tumbling for the sandy grass to the left of the path.

"I'm sorry, mister!" A young boy ran up and snagged the leash before the dog could get free and continue to run.

He didn't hit his head, but the green blades sticking up through the sand blurred in front of him. He heard the crash of bikes hitting the pavement, followed by pounding feet. Then a strong hand circled his arm just above the elbow.

"Mikey, are you okay? Maybe you better not move."

"I'm fine, Sam. I just took a little tumble." He brushed off Sam's offer of assistance and sat on the grass.

"Sam, he's bleeding!" Elsa exclaimed. "Here, use this." She gave Sam a cloth napkin that she pulled from the basket on her bike.

"I'm bleeding? Where?" He knew he didn't fall and hit anything, at least not hard enough to bleed.

Sam took a corner of the napkin and held it under Michael's nose. Michael pulled back, and Sam grabbed him and held him in place. "Come on, Mike, it's just a little bloody nose. No big deal. Here, pinch it." Sam moved to his side while pinching Michael's nose and tilting his head back. "Did you go nose first to the pavement?"

"I didn't see him hit anything other than maybe his knee," Fiona answered for him. She stood with her hands on hips, watching Michael with her bottom lip clamped between her teeth.

"I didn't. I'm fine." He pulled his head out of Sam's grip and looked around him, fighting a wave of nausea. A small crowd assembled around them. He lowered his head and shook it slowly.

"He's okay, people. There's nothing to see." Sam waved them off. "Mike, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." He dabbed at his nose with a clean area of the napkin. It came away with the tiniest amount of blood. "I'm good now."

"Maybe we should go back," Elsa suggested, her brows drawn together above her sunglasses.

"Yeah, I think we should. Fi?"

She studied Michael before answering. "Yes, we should."

"Hey, don't I get a vote in this?" He scrambled to stand. "Why is everybody treating me like a sick kid or something? I'm fine!"

Michael was in denial. Fiona knew something was wrong. So did Sam, and even Elsa noticed. Last night he'd been jumpy and unsettled, and today he was lethargic until Fiona pressed him to get up because friends were coming. None of them could put their finger on it, but they all knew that he needed some help. When he stood up abruptly, the color drained from his face. Inside, he thought his stomach dropped to his feet.

"Mike..."

"Sam!"

"Michael!"

Everything went dark as if God had turned out all the lights. Michael sensed his body moving downward. The shouting voices faded to the background behind a loud ringing in his ears. He should have landed by now, wherever he was going to land. Something soft but firm circled around his back, and then the prickling of the grass touched his bare legs, through his shorts and t-shirt, and his neck. Oh, that felt better. Much better. He was horizontal now. He could rest.

"Mike! Come on, wake up, Mikey." Sam slapped the side of his face, but Michael didn't respond. He glanced up at Elsa standing to his left. "Call 911."

Elsa nodded, pulled the phone from her pocket, and dialed. She looked up at the street sign to see where they were. As she spoke with the operator, Sam tried to get Michael to regain consciousness.

"What's wrong with him, Sam?" Fiona knelt in the grass on Michael's left, and Sam stayed at his right side.

"Fi, raise his legs up." He wouldn't answer her, because he just didn't know. He saw Michael take the tumble, but Fiona was right. Michael didn't hit his nose, his head, or anything that would cause him to go out like this. "Did he eat anything strange last night that might have made him sick?"

"I don't think so. We always get the curried lamb when we go to The Delhi Cafe. I'm fine."

"You shared?" Sam looked up at her.

"Always."

"This has gotta be something else, then." He heard sirens in the distance and tried slapping Michael's cheek again. "Come on, Mike. There's an ambulance coming for you." He thought if anything, threatening to send him to the hospital would be enough to get him to come to.

Michael made a soft moaning sound but he didn't open his eyes. His hand came up and pulled his friend's hand away from his face. "Will you stop that?" He slowly opened his eyes. The sirens stopped. Good. Maybe someone called off the rescue personnel. He didn't need any help. Maybe some rest, but wasn't that what he was trying to do today, rest and have some nice simple recreation like normal people?

"Please, let us through."

Sam got to his feet, reached over Michael and helped Fiona stand and get out of the way.

"You don't have to do this. I'm fine."

"No, you're not fine, Michael! Please, let them take care of you!"

Fiona sounded scared. Maybe he had reason to be concerned, and he just didn't see it. He heard Sam's voice trying to soothe Fiona. Sam pulled her farther away. Michael turned his eyes to see her standing between Sam and Elsa, and the couple had their arms around her. The anxious, serious expressions on their faces turned up his own anxiety. But he didn't have time for that, or for being sick.

"Sir, can you tell me your name," one of the paramedics asked him.

"My name is Michael Westen."

"Alright, Mr. Westen. Just relax, we're going to take good care of you."

He tried to keep an eye on everything going on, but his stomach felt too queasy and his head was like a fifty pound weight every time he tried to raise it. The last time, the world around him went dark again.

"Let's get some oxygen on him. Prepare to transport."

He didn't know what was going on, but the soft pressure of the pure oxygen flowing through the mask sure was refreshing. Maybe now he could get some decent rest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"We'll get the bikes back to the rental shop, and Elsa and I will meet you at the hospital, okay?"

"Okay." Fiona answered as her eyes riveted on Michael being lifted into the ambulance. He looked so pale against the dark blanket. Her hand rose and she swiped away a few strands of hair that blew into her face. She needed her vision clear to see him, to make sure he was alright. She felt a light pressure on her arm, and she discovered that it was Elsa.

"It'll be fine, Fiona. They'll figure out what's wrong with him."

"Thanks, Elsa." She broke away and headed for the vehicle.

Sam and Elsa watched until the doors closed, and Sam picked up two of the bikes. Without a word, Elsa took the other two. "Let's get moving. I don't want Fi to have to be alone too long." He walked ahead of her with the bikes. The ambulance left the scene and passed them at a high rate of speed with flashers going but no siren. He hoped that was a good thing.

Once everything was settled at the bike rental shack, Elsa and Sam got into the car and drove to the hospital. They found Fiona waiting for news. Elsa took a seat on one side of her, and Sam on the other. After an hour, Sam asked, "Do you think I should call Maddie?"

"No," Fiona blurted. Then she shook her head. "No, yes. Yes, she should know about this. I mean, what if it's serious? If she doesn't get a chance to see him one more time..." Her voice cracked. She was unable to finish speaking.

Sam put an arm around her and spoke in a soft tone. "Hey, Fi. Stop thinking like that. He'll be fine. Maybe he picked up some bug in Panama."

"That was a month ago." She glared at him.

"Well, who knows? Maybe it was something that lay dormant in his system for awhile."

Elsa spoke up. She patted Fiona's hand. "Michael is strong. He'll beat this, whatever it is." She pushed a lock behind Fiona's ear and smoothed her hair. "Don't give up on him."

"I'm not. I'm just afraid for him, that's all." She rocked in her seat and Sam moved to take her into both of his arms, stilling her. In any normal situation, Fiona would have pushed him away. But at the moment she was scared and his strong grip made her feel safe. If only Michael could be as well.

A doctor came out wearing blue green scrubs with a lab coat over them. He carried a chart as he moved forward with a sympathetic smile. "Are you all here for Michael Westen?"

"Yes! Yes we are," Fiona answered and jumped to her feet. "How is he? What's wrong with him?"

The doctor continued to smile. He'd seen this reaction many times in his work. "I'm Dr. Gordon, attending emergency physician. I've been working with Michael since he arrived."

"What took so long? How serious is this?"

He turned his friendly looking blue eyes down to Fiona's and answered truthfully. "Right now, we just don't know. He's displaying symptoms that could fit so many illnesses, but every test we've run comes back negative. We're doing another blood series on him for a new set of diseases."

"So he's sick, he didn't have a head injury or anything like that," Sam asked.

"No."

"Then why the bloody nose?"

"It's probably another symptom. Michael told us about it and we've added it to the list with the others." He nodded, answering the question before it was asked. "Yes, he's conscious right now. His stomach is very upset at the moment and his head hurts, but we've given him something to make him more comfortable. Did he have anything for breakfast this morning?"

Fiona shook her head. "No, he just had some water and the aspirin. He had a headache." She berated herself. "I should have made him eat something before we left. Could that be it, just a blood sugar imbalance or something?" Her eyes locked on his, hoping that he would give her the answer she wanted to hear.

"We tested for that in the beginning when he said he didn't think he'd had anything to eat today."

"He didn't remember?" Sam asked, and he held onto Fiona's shoulder with one hand. Underneath, he sensed her growing agitation.

"I'm sorry, folks. We're doing everything we can but not getting any answers. I just wanted to let you know that we're aware you're out here waiting, and as soon as we know something, I'll let you know."

"Can I go in and see him?" Fiona looked up at him with hope in her eyes.

"She's his fiancee." Sam lied. "Come on, Doc."

"Okay. If he gets upset, I'll have to send you back out here, Miss."

Fiona rolled her eyes. She hadn't been called Miss since she was a teenager. "It'll be fine."

"Fi, tell Mike we're out here, and that I'll call Maddie."

"Thank you, Sam." She broke away from him and walked with the doctor back to the emergency room.

Sam and Elsa sat next to each other, and Sam got on the phone to call Maddie. She wasn't home, but he left a message. "Hi, Maddie, it's Sam. Uh, I don't know... I just wanted to let you know we're at Sinai right now... uh, Mike is in the emergency room. They're running all kinds of tests but they don't know anything yet. He was feeling out of sorts this morning, and, well, he wound up here." He paused to take a breath. "Give me a call Maddie if you get this, or, uh, I hope maybe we'll see you here? Talk to you later. Bye." He put his phone away.

Elsa took Fiona's seat, snaked an arm around his back, wrapped the other around his front, and held him as they spent more time waiting. "He'll be okay, Sam. You'll see. He'll be fine."

Two hours went by with no answers. Michael was admitted, put on fluids and oxygen, and settled into a room. Fiona stayed beside him and talked to him when he woke up, never letting go of his hand. Sam and Elsa hung back in the shadows, but after awhile, Sam couldn't sit still anymore.

"I'm going to get a hold of Jesse and see if we can search the loft for any clues."

"Why?" Fiona looked at Sam over her shoulder. "Do you think someone did this to him?"

"I don't know. I want to make sure nothing is missed. Elsa, can you stay here with Mike and Fi?" She nodded and he smiled and gave her a kiss. "Thanks."

He and Jesse took their time going over the loft, despite the sense of urgency they felt. Sam found the leftovers from the couple's dinner and grabbed everything else in a take out or plastic container that looked like the remains of a meal. He had a plastic bag full. Other than a few of Michael's personal belongings that he might need at the hospital, they found nothing worth taking along.

"Well..." Sam let out a breath and scanned the main room. "I'm out of ideas. I'll take this stuff to the hospital. Jesse, could you swing by Maddie's and see if she's home? I've tried calling her twice, but there's no answer."

"Sure, no problem."

"Thanks." Sam locked up the loft and the two went their separate ways.

Sam returned to the hospital with the bag and gave it to the nurse on shift taking care of Michael. She assured him that she would send it to the lab for analysis. Then it was just another session of wait and see.

"How is he, Fi?"

"He's sleeping a lot, but maybe that's good."

Sam laid a hand on her shoulder and looked down at his friend. The way he lay on the mattress gave him a flashback to Nate's funeral. He shook it away. No, we're not gonna let that happen, even if I have to go back to Panama and retrace every one of our steps to find something. He reached out to touch Michael's hand. It was too warm. "He's got a fever."

"Yes, the nurse confirmed that earlier."

Jesse arrived alone, and Sam turned questioning eyes on him. "I talked to Ms. Reynolds. She said Maddie took a trip upstate to see an old friend. She's expected to be back on Monday. And no, she didn't have a way to reach her."

"Crap." Hopefully by Monday Michael would be on the mend. If it went the other way, Sam hated to think what kind of pain and regret Maddie would be feeling then. "Jesse, does she still have a cell phone?"

"I think she got rid of that last burner. Mike scared her with secure and unsecure lines," Jesse replied with a soft chuckle.

"Great." Sam released a heavy sigh. "Guess we'll have to hope for the best and catch her when she gets home."

By early evening, Michael was lucid, and he was off the oxygen and talking with them. Sam wondered when someone would come back with the results from testing the food. Not long after, a female doctor entered the room.

"Hello. I'm Dr. Paige." She stepped up to the foot of the bed and addressed Michael. "You've been handed over to my care. Michael, how are you feeling? You look like you've regained some color."

"Okay, I guess. I want to get out of here."

"I want you to stay overnight, just until we balance some medications for you." She looked up from the chart in her hands. "Michael, we got the results back from your scans." She glanced at the others in the room, returned her attention to him, and asked, "Is it okay if we talk about this with everyone here?"

"Yes. What's wrong with me?" He tried to keep his tone down, but the sound of getting results from a scan didn't make him feel comfortable.

"We found a couple of masses in your brain. They don't appear to be cancerous, but we think that they're caused by a new tropical disease that was recently discovered in Central and South America. I understand you were all down there recently."

"Yes. Do you think we might all have it," Fiona asked.

"We would have to run scans on everyone who was in Panama. Apparently, the person who is infected might experience some flu like symptoms that go away after a week. Then a few weeks later, the symptoms return along with severe headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, a bloody nose, and sometimes paralysis. It all depends upon where the disease lodges itself in the brain."

"When we returned from Panama I felt a little sick. Nothing serious." Michael addressed the doctor. "It cleared up in a few days. I didn't think it was anything to get excited about."

Fiona, Jesse, and Sam looked at each other. Sam glanced at Elsa and asked, "How is this transmitted?"

"The researchers aren't sure but they think it's through mosquitos or other insects. So far they haven't discovered any human to human cases."

Sam let out a silent breath of relief. "Jesse, Fi, I suppose we should get checked out then."

Dr. Paige gave them a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid so. I can take you down to the lab for some blood work, and then we'll do the MRI on each of you."

"If we don't have the testing and we contract this illness, what will happen?" Fiona locked her eyes on the doctor, waiting for the bad news but hoping for good.

"This disease is so new, right now we can fight it with drugs, but it's not always effective. No treatment at all and the disease is certainly fatal. With treatment, there's an 85% survival rate. Naturally, the earlier we start, the greater the chances of a cure."

"Well, we better go get tested." Fiona turned to Elsa. "Will you stay with Michael?"

"Sure. We'll be waiting for you."

The three returned after what seemed like an eternity. "Looks like we're all clean," Jesse said with a smile. "So now we just have to worry about you, Mike."

"I'm gonna beat this thing," Michael said with a tired sounding voice. "They started giving me the drugs, and man, they're just dragging me down."

"I've been trying to convince him to just roll with it and go to sleep," Elsa said with a scolding tone in her voice. "But he's just too stubborn."

"Like someone else I know," Fiona said with a smile as she took up Elsa's place beside the bed. She swiped a lock of hair of Michael's forehead and kissed the warm skin. "Michael, please. Just sleep for awhile. We'll still be here when you wake up."

"Where's my Ma? Did anybody call her?"

"I did, brother. Twice. She's out of town, but she's supposed to be back on Monday." Sam answered him. "Don't worry, just get some rest."

Michael spent the remainder of his weekend in the hospital bed resting. If he really had to be laid up, he would have preferred to do it in a way that involved being out in the sun and enjoying the cooler temperatures of fall, but it was not meant to be. Fiona promised him they would go to the beach when he got home. As he lay there, he thought about his life and everything that had happened up until now. He'd traveled a long, winding road full of potholes and obstacles almost every step of the way. Maybe it was the drugs talking, but he started to see how beneficial it would be to just put the brakes on things for awhile and do things that he'd always wanted to do.

The question was, what would he do? He'd spent so much of his life focusing on one thing, stepping back to think about other desires and needs was almost impossible. They were buried so deep within, Michael wasn't sure he could even find them under the clutter of his life's problems. He had to do it. If this didn't work and he wound up dying, he didn't want his last days to be spent chasing down elusive ghosts. The time would be better spent with Fiona, doing the things he's wished he could do with her. Not knowing how much time he had left put the pressure on him. He closed his eyes and let the drugs take him down to sleep, and he hoped that when he awoke, the picture would be clearer and he would know exactly what he wanted to do to make his final days count.

Yes, it was pessimistic of him to think in those terms. As a spy, he'd been almost constantly on alert, analyzing every situation for the angle or trap behind it. It was a tough habit to break, but if he cared to have one shred of happiness in the end, he had to turn his type-A personality on to a new mission: making the days count.


	3. Chapter 3

_Posting a second chapter today for all my fan fic addicts. You know who you are!_

**Chapter 3**

"Fi, could you do me a favor?" Michael asked Fiona from his place propped up in bed.

She was in the middle of making him some breakfast the first morning he was home. Fiona turned to him with questions in her eyes. "Yes."

"Can you get me some clothes? I want to get up and sit on the balcony. Maybe later we can go out."

"Where do you want to go? We were at the beach yesterday." She stirred the eggs with a little more force than she'd planned. She wasn't happy that he was trying to do too much while his body was adjusting to the medications he was prescribed. It was hard enough getting him to take them. Now he wanted to get active when he should be resting.

"I can tell by your silence that you're not happy with me getting up and around," Michael said as he stood and slowly moved toward her. "I'm not completely helpless, Fi. See? I can walk. Just that I get tired easily, that's all." He grinned. "Maybe we can get one of those handicapped cards that people hang on the rearview mirror. We'll get the best parking spaces in town." His joke fell flat and he turned sober. "Fi, I promise I won't overdo it. I just want to sit out in the sunshine. Is that a bad thing?"

"No, I suppose not." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Go on with ya, and sit out there. I'll bring you breakfast."

She said nothing about clothes. He was still dressed in his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt which were decent enough. Michael smiled and decided to compromise for now. He put a hand around her waist and kissed her cheek. "I'm glad you're here to take care of me." One more kiss, and he walked out to sit at the cafe table on the balcony. He left Fiona behind with a big grin on her face.

He crossed his legs and set a leather folio on his knee. He pulled out the pen, uncapped it, and stared as he thought about his list. With an undetermined amount of time left, Michael had to be practical about his limited future. No more time for chasing the people who tried to destroy him. It almost physically hurt to give up his quest, but he was only being logical. It wouldn't do him any good after he was dead, and all his friends and family would remember him as a bullheaded man who couldn't give up on an impossible task. He preferred to leave them thinking about the good times they had before he was gone.

Ironic with all the things his enemies did to discredit him and make his life miserable, it would be an obscure disease that finally did him in. No doubt they would be happy when he was dead. It angered him, but his analytical mind pushed away the emotion. His brain only had room for what he wanted to do.

First item he'd already put into practice that morning. He told Fi that he appreciated her help, and he would continue to let her know how much he valued her presence and her love over the years. Michael also decided that he would give her the desire of her heart, and that was to marry her and take her to Paris. If he wound up surviving, he would be tied to her forever. That was okay with him, since they'd been through a lot of bad things and came out together. She'd already proven herself, and he'd proven to her that she was the only one for him. All this time he feared having a marriage like his parents, but after analyzing his relationship with her, he understood that he and Fi were nothing like Frank and Madeline Westen. As much as he and Fi wanted to kill each other sometimes, their love was greater than any other emotion or feeling.

"Michael, it's time for your medication." Fiona came out with a large glass and three pills in her other hand.

"Thanks for bringing such a big glass. These things are almost impossible to get down without choking."

"I know." A small smile joined the crease of her brow.

"Aw, Fi." Michael set down the glass and took her hand, kneading it in his as he looked up at her. "We're going to get through this. I'll get better."

Her eyes lit upon the yellow legal pad. "You're putting together a bucket list. That doesn't sound to me like you're thinking you'll make it."

Michael let out a self-conscious laugh and bowed his head a moment. "You're right." He picked up the folio and dropped it on the table as he turned and pulled her into the chair next to him. He looked deeply into her eyes. "Listen to me, Fi. I'm hoping for the best but planning for the worst. You know me, that's what I do."

She glanced at the paper and jutted her chin toward it. "But how will you have time for this?"

"I'm making the time. I'm through with the CIA and our investigation is on hold until I get better. On the off chance I don't... well, you, Sam and Jesse will be free of all of that. Hopefully." He let out a deep breath and leaned over to kiss her hand and press it to his forehead. "Fi," he spoke softly. "I want to spend whatever time I have left with all of you. I don't want to be expending my energy on useless things." He looked up, and his eyes wouldn't waver from hers as he said, "There's something I want to do that I have promised you for a long time."

"What's that?" She had an idea, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.

"I want to take you to Paris. But first, I want to make you my wife."

Fiona gasped and pressed a hand to her chest. "Michael, are you serious?"

"As serious as I can be." He smiled. "I know I'm not offering you much of a future either way, but..."

"It's okay. I want to be with you to the end, whenever that may be, as Mrs. Michael Westen." She squeezed his hand.

He grinned. "Great. Let me get dressed, and we'll go arrange the license today. I'm sorry it won't be anything fancy."

Fiona shook her head, still reeling from Michael's proposal. It wasn't romantic, but it came from his heart. It was a desperate heart, yes, but she wouldn't be picky. Not when he finally made his intentions known. "It doesn't matter what kind of ceremony we have, Michael. We could go to Vegas for all I care."

"Really?"

"Really." She nodded.

With a completely serious look on his face, he said, "Well then, let's do it."

Fiona shrieked with laughter and threw her head back. "Michael!"

"Fiona!" He laughed and imitated her, which only made her grin widen.

When she stared at him sitting in the sunlight, he looked healthier than he had in a long time. Maybe this illness wasn't as bad as the doctors were saying. Maybe he would get over it in a few days' time and then he would want to renege on the promise he made to marry her. God help her for being conniving, but if Michael wanted to go off to Vegas on a whim and get married now, she was going to do it. It might be fun!

"What about the fact that Nate was living in Vegas?" She hated to throw a wet blanket on the joy, but better to do it now rather than later when he set foot in a place where Nate used to live.

"It's okay, Fi. Nate's not there anymore." He swallowed hard. "Let's do this today, and then come home and pack for a few days in Paris." He frowned and looked away to take his pills. Then he turned back to her. "I wish we could take a week or two, but there are other things I need to do."

She nodded. "I understand. Your mother, you need to reconcile with her."

"Yes. I tried calling her yesterday but she didn't pick up her phone. I really would like her to be there with us, and of course have Sam and Jesse there too." He sighed and glanced at the river before turning back to her. "Let's go to the house first. If she's willing to come, great. If not... she can hear about it later."

"I'll call Sam and Jesse and invite them. What about Elsa?"

Michael shrugged. "If she wants to come she can."

"Alright. After breakfast, we'll put this plan in motion." Fiona smiled and stood. She brought out two plates into the warm sunshine, and they fleshed out their plans while they ate. Fiona took the empty plates inside and said, "I'll take care of this mess. You go get dressed."

Michael picked up the folio and his empty glass. He set the glass in the sink and the folio he put on his side of the bed on the night stand. Then he grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom. Fiona watched him, noting that he seemed more like himself. He was a man on a mission, a new mission that would result in something good and pure, not one more dead end and disappointment. She had little time to waste. Fiona got out her phone and called Sam.

Fiona caught him at the pool. "Hey, Fi, how's Mike today?"

"Surprisingly chipper," she replied with a cheerful voice. "Sam, you were right. He asked me to marry him."

"Way to go, Mikey! He finally used some sense!"

"Well, I found him writing up a bucket list this morning, and first on the list was asking me to marry him and go to Paris."

"Wow. Congratulations, Fi! How long will you be gone?"

"Only a few days in Paris, because he said he wanted to spend time with all the people he loves, not just me." She heard the silence on the other side of the phone and realized that Sam was wondering if he was included in that grouping. "If it's any consolation to you, he has on his list to 'go deep sea fishing with Sam.'"

"Fishing? He wants to go fishing with me?"

Fiona laughed. "Yes. Who would have thought it?"

"He also has on the list to reconcile with his Mum, and if it took a trip to Disney World, he would do it."

It was Sam's turn to laugh. "Oh yeah, now that I'd pay to see. Tell him to watch out. Maddie is wicked on the teacups."

"Well, we'll have to wait on that. We're going over to her house this morning to see if she'll go with us."

He sucked in a breath before responding. "To Paris? Are you crazy? Fi, you never, ever invite your mother-in-law along on the honeymoon!"

"Speaking from experience?"

"No! I'm just saying, that's kind of gross, don't you think?"

"Well, don't worry, she's not coming to Paris with us. We're inviting her to the wedding in Vegas. You're invited as well, and Jesse, when I call him."

"When is this going to be?" Sam, completely shocked, planted his feet on both sides of the lounge and sat up straight. He ignored the mojito the cabana boy Edward set beside him on the small table.

"Today. As soon as we get everyone together, we're going to the airport and just getting on the first plane that has room for us."

"Wow." The word came out on a breath. "Fi, this sickness must have really addled Mike's brain. I mean, this is so not like him!"

"I know. I was quite surprised myself, but if you'd seen the seriousness in his eyes... He's afraid to waste any more time. He said he's hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. And for him, the worst would be running out of time to do all the things on this list. He doesn't have many, but they mean..." Emotion caught in her throat. "They mean so much to him. Sam, please, say you'll be there."

"You know I will. But you know that if you're in a hurry, there's a way to get around the waiting period here in Florida."

"There is?"

"Yeah. Let me make some calls and I bet by lunch time I'll have a waiver, a license, and a time set up for the wedding. Where do you want to have it?"

"I-I don't know. The beach, maybe?"

Sam smiled. "Yeah, at sunset. It'll be fabulous! I've got a buddy who can marry you guys, if you don't mind."

Fiona swallowed, emotion taking control of her. She steadied herself with a hand on the counter. "Sam, I'm overwhelmed. Thank you."

"Hey, Mikey's my best friend. I just wanna see him happy. And you too, Fi."

The tenderness in Sam's voice was almost her undoing. "I know. It still doesn't lessen the impact of what you're proposing. This is incredible."

"Believe me sister, this is completely credible. Well, I better get to work and set this up, or there'll be no wedding today!"

As soon as he got off the phone with Fiona, Sam pulled up the number for his friend in local government who knew people who could make things happen. By lunchtime, as promised, everything was set. He called Fiona to let her know.

"How's Mike doing?"

"He wanted to go to Madeline's this morning, but I've been making him rest up for this evening. We'll go later. He just took his medication a little while ago and had some lunch, so he's sleeping again. Is everything in place?"

"Oh yeah, we're good to go. I sent the clerk the info for your license and it'll be waiting for pickup at three. I set up the ceremony for six, and afterwards, we have reservations in the hotel restaurant for dinner. It's on Elsa as a gift to you and Mike."

"She didn't!"

"Yes, she did."

"Sam, I'm speechless. This may not be the fanciest wedding, but it will certainly be the most beautiful in terms of the love shown us by our friends."

"It's too bad that sometimes it takes a crisis to make us realize how much we care about each other." Sam heard Fiona sniffling on the other side of the phone. "Hey sister, now you worry about what you guys are going to wear. Everything's taken care of. How many of us will there be? I need to get a firm number to the maître d."

Fiona did a quick count in her head. "If Madeline and Elsa come, we'll have six."

"Perfect. That's what I was thinking! Okay, I've got some other things to take care of before this shindig. Elsa's got me on a mission!"

"I'll be that's a switch. And a lot less dangerous," Fiona replied with a soft laugh. She looked over at the bed to make sure Michael was still asleep.

"I don't know." He changed the subject. "Did you two firm up your reservations for Paris?"

"I'm working on that as soon as I get off the phone with you. I'm hoping I can finish before Michael wakes up, and then we can go over to Madeline's house."

"Sounds good. See you at six on the beach in front of the hotel!"

Fiona beamed. "I'm looking forward to it, Sam. And thank you again for all your hard work."

"Not a problem." Sam hung up and let out a deep sigh. He glanced at the list that Elsa gave him. It was short, but challenging. He finished changing into his suit and prepared to do the first item. He wasn't sure he should get in the middle of it, but if it worked, his intervention would ease things up for Mike and Fi.

His phone rang while he was in the car, and he checked the number before answering with a smile. "Hey, baby."

"Hi Sam. I've cleared my calendar for the afternoon and I'm ready to do my part for Operation Nuptials." She laughed.

"Great. Just head on over to Mike and Fi's, stall her for a little while, and then take Mike over to Maddie's so you two can go shopping."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know. Talk about dresses or something. You know more about all those wedding details than I do. Jeez, I'm beginning to think I got the easier end of the mission."

"Oh, this'll be easy once we get Michael and Madeline in the same room. Well, maybe not easy for them, but for Fiona and me, we'll get it done."

"Great. I knew I could count on you, honey." He kissed her over the phone. "I'll talk to you later."

"Oh, I'll take Fiona over to the courthouse to get the license, so you don't have to worry about that. We'll probably be in the area."

Sam chuckled. "It's a shame all this ops stuff is ending. You'd be a great asset for logistics."

"Yeah, whatever. Just get off your butt and get your job done, mister!"

"I'm working on it! Wish me luck!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Knowing the delicate balance of this operation and how Maddie was the missing piece, Sam worried that she would be gone by the time Michael and Fiona arrived, or unwilling to participate because of unresolved anger. What he was about to do wasn't just for Michael, although it was the least he could do for the man who'd risked his life for him on more than one occasion. Sam felt a special bond with Maddie because they shared more than a few beers in commiseration over his many failed relationships. Now it was his turn to repay the favor.

He drove to Maddie's house wearing his suit, and he knew it would make a good impression because she liked seeing him so sharply dressed. On the way, he stopped and picked up a carton of cigarettes and a six pack of her favorite beer. When he pulled into the driveway, he was pleased to see her car parked in it, which meant that she was home, unless she went over to a neighbor's house. He got out, grabbed his peace offerings, and debated whether to go to the front or back entrance. He saw her face staring at him through the kitchen window. Seconds later, the back door opened and Maddie stood behind the screen with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

"What, were you planning on standing out there all day?"

"Uh, no, I don't have time for that." Sam approached the door and moved up the steps to stand directly in front of her. "Maddie, can I come in?" He held out his gifts, and he was pleased to see her mouth perk up on one side as she wordlessly took them from him.

She blew a cloud of smoke off to the side. "You're here, why not come in." She opened the screen wider and let him inside. Over her shoulder, she said, "You look nice, Sam. What's the occasion?"

"We can talk about that in a minute."

"You want one of these?" She held up the beer.

As much as he would have liked to, he had to say it. "No, sorry. I'm only here for a little while, and then I have other errands to run." Sam closed the door and followed her into the dining room where she sat at the table. An overflowing ash tray lay in the center next to a glass of whiskey with the bottle nearby. Photo albums were stacked flanking both sides of her seat, and one lay open. Even upside down, Sam could see the page displayed pictures of Nate and Michael as kids. Maddie tapped on one and looked up at him.

"I got your message." She waved to a chair, inviting him to sit.

As he lowered himself into the chair across from her, Sam looked into her weary, tear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry, Maddie."

"Are they sure that he's... Michael is going to die?" She took another puff, but her mouth twisted up as if the cigarette had suddenly lost its familiar taste and turned to something even more putrid. The last cloud exploded out of her mouth as she stubbed it out into the ash tray.

"Right now, it looks like he's stable. In a few days, they'll run more tests. But in the meantime, he appears almost normal except for bouts of tiredness."

"And yet he continues with this cockamamie mission of his, the one that cost Nate his life!"

Sam reached across the table and covered her hand with his. "No, Maddie! He's done with that." He explained to her about the list that Michael created of everything he wanted to do before he died. "Sorry, I have to admit this, but marrying Fi was at the top of the list. Reconciling with you ran a close second, I'm sure."

Maddie let out a ragged laugh. "I'm surprised I wasn't last."

"You would never be last in his life, Maddie. He loves you. You're his mother. And right now, he needs you to be there."

"There? Where? And for what?"

Sam spoke quickly. "Mike and Fi are getting married today on the beach. Mike is stable, like I said, but we don't know how much time he has. He wants to take Fi to Paris for a honeymoon, albeit a short one, so we have to do this now." Sam squeezed her hand. "He wants you there. Mike is coming here this afternoon to talk to you, but I was hoping to maybe smooth things over before he arrived."

"I don't know what you can do. Can you raise the dead?"

Sam examined the table's polished surface. "You know I can't."

Maddie's hand slipped from his. "Then we can never really resolve this, can we." She resumed looking at pictures in the book. "I've spent the past few days going over these albums remembering Nate and Michael, and how much we all went through because I made the choice to stay with Frank. I wonder if I hadn't, if Michael wouldn't have become a spy and if Nate would still be alive." She looked up and met Sam's eyes. "All this time I've been blaming Michael, but ultimately it was my fault he took the path he did. It was my fault, and Michael's, for trying to shield Nate from so many things."

"Maddie, that didn't have anything to do with what happened. Nate made his own choice, and it was a bad one."

"Like most of the other ones he made in his life." She scoffed. "Maybe if I hadn't babied him, he would have had the strength to make better choices." She shook her head. "I don't know."

"You know, I think you and Mike should really talk about this. This isn't my battle."

Maddie nodded. "I'm sorry. I've been stewing on this for a long time now, and when I went to see my friend Betty, she and I talked about this. She reminded me that family was the most important possession I had, and if I divorced myself from Michael forever, I would regret it." She sniffed. "Then I came home to your messages and I thought I'd really done it. I lost the chance to try to fix things." She picked up her glass and drained the amber liquid inside. "I've been trying to work up the courage to call him. Since you called me, I figured you were just doing it on his behalf because he didn't want to call me himself."

"At the time he was too sick to call and the doctors were trying to figure out what was wrong. I think if he could have, he would have called you." At least, he was thinking about it, that much Sam knew to be true. "Today's the first day that he's even been sort of like himself. Except for the fly by the seat of the pants planning." He laughed. "That threw everybody for a loop, because that's just not Mikey."

Maddie smiled and let out a weak laugh. "He used to be that way, when he was much younger. Before his father..." She waved her hand in the air. "Never mind. That's all in the past." She sat up straighter in her chair and put on a forced smile. "I guess I better decide what I'm going to wear to my son's wedding!" Then she stood and hurried to her room, leaving Sam behind. He watched her exit the room, and he could tell that she still wasn't completely on board with this. The only cure would be for her to sit down and have a one on one with Michael.

He heard car doors slamming outside, and he got up to look through the kitchen window. Michael and Fiona approached the side door, glancing at Sam's car and talking between themselves.

"Sam, what are you doing here?" Michael looked angry.

Sam had a feeling this was a bad idea. "I thought maybe I should come by and try to smooth things over a little before you showed up. I think it worked. You Ma's a little unsure yet, but she just went upstairs to get dressed for the wedding."

Fiona gasped and smiled. "That's wonderful news. Do you think Maddie will see Michael?"

He looked over his shoulder to make sure she wasn't listening. "Yeah, she's had time to think about this. She understands that there's a lot of blame to go around, and it's not all on you, Mike. You two just need to work on this together." He paused and turned his full attention on Michael. "I'm sorry if you feel like I was stepping on your toes here, but I just wanted to make this easier on you."

Michael took the final step and pulled open the screen door. Sam backed out of his way. Eye to eye, Michael's expression softened as he said, "Thanks, Sam. I appreciate what you were trying to do." He gave him a small smile to assure him that it was okay. "We'll see you at six."

Sam's expression brightened with relief. "See you at six, Mikey. Tell Maddie I'll see her later!" He squeezed past the couple, hurried down the steps, and trotted to his car.

Michael entered the dining room and saw the photo albums sitting on the table. The corner of his mouth tipped up as he settled into the chair before them. "Wow, Fi. I didn't know she had so many albums of Nate and me." He picked one off the pile on the right side and flipped through it. He was so engrossed in the past that he didn't hear Madeline come downstairs. Her sandaled feet stopped in the archway between the living room and dining room, and she watched Michael's enrapt expression as he studied the photos.

"Madeline, you look lovely!"

Fiona's voice made him look up. At the sight of his mother, he dropped the album on top of the other opened one. The chair scraped on the wood floor as he stood, and the only sound was that of his heels as he closed the distance between them.

"Mom." He could barely get his voice above a whisper. "I'm sorry."

"Michael, I'm sorry I blamed you. It wasn't all your fault!" Maddie blinked to keep from ruining her fresh eye makeup.

"But it was some, wasn't it. If I hadn't let Nate go with us. If I hadn't asked him to help on other cases, he wouldn't have been all fired up to go along."

Maddie raised a hand and cupped his cheek. "He just wanted us to be proud of him, to do something that made a difference, and be successful for once. We couldn't stop him from doing that, not really."

"I hope he knows that we are proud of him, Ma. He shouldn't have taken Anson outside like he did, but how was he to know that someone was waiting for the opportunity to shoot Anson? It was just a tragedy all around."

"Let's sit down on the couch and talk," Maddie said as she lost the battle against tears. "Tell me about this illness. I want to know how much time you have left."

"Well, the doctors are pretty optimistic that if I keep taking this medication I can fight it. The meds make me tired, and I have to take them four times a day, but the benefits are worth it." Michael sat on the couch with his mother and looked her in the eyes. "If I don't do this, I'm dead for sure."

"So this buys you time, and maybe a cure? I'd say that was worth it."

"It's such a new disease, they don't know for sure. I wish I could give you a concrete time or how this'll go, but nobody has a clue." Michael watched the sorrow and pain march across his mother's face, and he felt guilty for putting it there. "If we hadn't gone to Panama, this never would have happened."

"You had a good reason."

"We did. Ma, we found the man who killed Nate. I wanted to bring him back here for a trial and punishment, but he was killed. Apparently, someone wanted him dead more than we did." He blinked and looked away, quickly scanning the room. He returned to his mother's face and took her hands in his. "If I weren't sick, we'd be out there cleaning this up. We're so close. But the people I love are more important to me right now. That's why I'm here. I want you to be there today to see Fi and me get married. I want you to be in my life until one of us is gone."

It was hard for Maddie to speak around the tears. "I've been so lonely without you. It reminded me of when you left and didn't come home for ten years. Only this time, it was I who left you. It wasn't pleasant the first time, and it was even worse the second time. I had to look myself in the mirror every morning and tell myself not to call you, and remember all over again why I was so angry at you."

"Ma." Michael used his thumbs to wipe the tears from below Maddie's eyes.

"My friend Betty knocked some sense into me, but it took me some time before I could even consider calling you. I didn't think you'd want to talk to me."

"Of course I would." He looked at her with an unwavering, intense expression. "We've done so much hurting over the years. I don't have time for that anymore."

"I know, honey." Maddie leaned toward him, and Michael embraced her, rocking her sideways in a small arc.

While they mended their fences, Fiona backed away and ran outside to sit on the back steps. She cried her own tears for the relationships she would never be able to amend or renew, because for her returning to Ireland was impossible. She still had enemies there who wanted her dead. But she could imagine that if her Ma had the means and the ability, she would fly across the ocean to be with them on this special day. Instead, she would just have to be there in spirit.

A horn sounded, and Fiona looked up. A Cadillac that matched Sam's pulled up to the curb, but it wasn't Sam driving. The passenger window rolled down and Elsa leaned across the seat. "Fiona! We're running late!"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Did you forget? We have to go shopping for your dress!" Elsa beamed. "I know just the place, it's not far from the courthouse, and after we're done we can pick up the license. There's a shoe store not far from the hotel, and a few other places we can go to finish up the outfit."

Fiona stood, slightly stunned. "I'm sorry, I forgot about that. I was so worried about Michael and his mum... hang on." She tripped up the stairs and yelled through the screen. "Michael, I'm going with Elsa to shop now! Call me when you're ready to leave, because I don't want you driving yourself. Or call Sam. He can probably pick you up."

"Don't worry, Fiona! I'll drive Michael back to the loft later," Maddie called to her.

"Thank you, Madeline!" Feeling her burden lift, Fiona grinned and skipped down the stairs, and she threw open the Cadillac's door and got inside. "Alright, let's go find a dress!"

Operation Nuptials was one of the team's more successful missions. Everything came together with precision despite the plan being hatched that very morning. As the sun dropped behind the skyscrapers and painted the sky orange, Fiona and Michael stood on the beach near the shoreline, hands clasped together, eyes fixed on nothing but each other, as Sam's friend, a Navy Chaplain, conducted the ceremony. Sam held onto the rings that Fiona and Elsa picked out that afternoon. He and Jesse signed the license as witnesses. And when it was all over, they slogged through the soft grains of sand to the hotel for dinner.

Maddie sat to her son's right grinning almost the entire time, not only because she found him again, but he was married to the woman he loved, finally. A small, negative part of her thought it was about time and wondered why it had to take such a dire situation to make it happen. But she'd learned through her self-exile that it was better to dwell on the good and not the bad. No one knew how many days they had left. It would do them all good to learn from Michael's situation that life is fleeting, and we should spend our days doing things that made a difference and show those we love how much we care.

The evening ended after dinner. Michael grew tired again. He and Fiona checked into a room in the hotel, and Sam and Elsa went to the loft to get them things to wear the next day. Michael had an appointment with his doctor in the morning, and depending upon the results from that visit, they would possibly be going to Paris that afternoon. Maddie went home, worried for her son, but happy that she had the time to spend with him. Perhaps when he returned from Paris, there would be more opportunities to enjoy the time he had.

After she'd gone to bed, Maddie thought about time and how much of it she wasted on hate. She was so glad that she'd made a tentative peace with the past and decided that it was foolish to keep dwelling on it. Life was too precious. She thought about her own situation and how without Michael she'd been so lonely. It was time for her to take control of that situation. She tried dating a few times in the recent past, but only one man really clicked with her. There was no more time for delay and worrying about whether people would approve or not. Maddie smiled and chuckled, then picked up the phone. Thinking about the time, knowing it was late, she dialed the number anyway. She'd let Michael influence her for too long. It was time she made up her own mind and did something for her.

"Hello?" The sleepy voice sounded so familiar and warmed her like an old sweater on a cool night.

"Virgil? Hi, it's Maddie!"

"Maddie? Is everything okay?" The tiredness faded from his tone and changed to one of concern.

"I'm fine. Michael's... well, Michael is sick, but that's not why I called. How've you been?"

"Great. Business has slacked off a little, you know, fewer tourists."

"Oh. Well, maybe you need a little vacation. How about coming to Miami? You can stay here..."

"What about Michael?"

If she didn't know better, Maddie would have thought she heard a bit of fear in Virgil's voice. "Oh, don't worry about him! I want to see you. Please come."

"I'll be there. Is tomorrow too soon?"

Maddie smiled in the dark. "Tomorrow would be perfect. See you then, Virgil."

His voice grew husky as he said, "I can't wait to see you again, Madeline."

"And I you, Virgil. Good night."

"'Night."

When Maddie lay down to sleep, she felt as light as a cloud as she stretched out on the mattress and thought about Virgil. Tomorrow he would be there, and this time, she wouldn't let Michael dictate her happiness. He had his life to live, and so did she. No more languishing alone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Leaving the doctor's office, Michael took Fiona's hand in his and didn't say anything. She knew by the pressure of his grip and the way he looked at her that they would not be jetting off to Paris that day. He led her to the parking lot before Fiona could get up the nerve to ask without crying.

"What did the doctor say?"

Michael pulled a couple of small sheets of paper from his pocket. "These are new prescriptions she wants me to take."

"I thought the one you had was working!" She stared up at him, her eyes begging him to tell her what she wasn't privy to in the office.

"It is, but this is stronger and it's a two-drug therapy. Dr. Paige said this stuff is hard on the system, so they start out at a lower dosage. It's working, just not good enough. The lesions have stopped growing, but they're still in there, so I have to take this to eradicate them." He flapped the pieces of paper in the air. Then he looked at her and added, "The higher dosage could make me sick."

"You're already ill. What do you mean?"

"Nausea, sweating, fever, aches. It won't be fun. She already gave me one dosage and I feel like crap."

Fiona let out a cry of frustration and pressed her fists into his upper chest as he pulled her close against him. "No! This isn't fair! You're going to spend your time so sick that you can't even enjoy it? That's not right."

"Fi." Michael grasped her upper arms and squeezed until she looked up at him. "Fi, listen to me. I'm better off being sick for a little while and being cured, than suffering through the illness's symptoms that are a lot worse than this before I die." He hugged her and in her hair he promised. "As soon as I'm better, we'll go to Paris and then we can spend more than just a few days. I swear."

"Michael, I love you. I've waited this long for Paris, I can wait a little longer." She gave him a soft, sweet smile and caressed his face. He leaned into her palm and closed his eyes behind his sunglasses. "Are you tired?"

"A little. This is one of the hardest things to cope with, being weak all the time."

"Let's get you home." She unlocked her car and let him get inside, and she drove him to the loft. As she pulled in behind the Charger, she heard him groan and her head whipped around. "Michael! What's wrong?"

"I forgot to get the prescriptions filled." He held up the papers as he sat pressed against the seat. She noted a strange look on his face.

"It's okay. Let's first get you inside, and I'll pick these up for you." She took the prescriptions from him. Then she moved around the car and helped him out.

Just in time. The movement caused his already unsettled stomach to clench, and he lost his breakfast on the pavement. Fiona didn't know whether to back off or stand behind him and rub his back. She opted for the latter and shoes and pants be damned.

"Ohhh, Fi, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Michael. Come along, let's get you to bed." She helped him up the stairs and inside, and he got to the bathroom just before another wave hit. While she waited, Fiona cleaned up her shoes and changed clothes. She stood in the middle of the loft, stunned at the pasty transparent complexion of Michael's face as he emerged from the bathroom.

He asked forgiveness at least a dozen times while Fiona undressed him and put him under the covers. She left a large bowl and a damp washcloth on a chair next to the bed, a glass of water, and some saltines if he felt like eating something. With a tender kiss on his forehead, she tucked the covers up around his neck and left him alone. She worried about that. What if he tried to get out of bed and fell or got sick again? Could he handle himself alone? Strange questions, considering he was an adult, after all. But Michael wasn't accustomed to being ill. He didn't know that when one was weak and tossing their guts, they stayed in bed. Thoughts of him going out to the balcony and taking a header over the railing assaulted her. Gooseflesh covered her arms, and she dialed Sam's number.

She needn't have bothered. As she drove down the street to the intersection, she saw the familiar Cadillac and stopped in the middle of the street. Sam pulled up opposite her.

"Hey, Fi. I thought you guys would be getting ready to go to Paris," he said with a grin.

"So why are you coming by?"

The smile wiped off his face. "I just wanted to say 'bon voyage'. Gee, can't a guy do that?"

"I'm sorry, Sam. We aren't going to Paris, at least not yet." She managed to hide her disappointment well, but the tension in her voice was perceptible. "Michael had a prescription change and now he's very sick. But the doctor said that ultimately this would make him better. The other medicine wasn't strong enough."

Concern creased his brow. "Did you need something for him?"

"I'm getting his prescriptions filled. He was so sick, I just wanted to get him home. He's in bed now, and I equipped him for being alone for awhile, but..."

The corner of Sam's mouth tipped up. He knew the workings of her mind. It should have scared him, but he was more concerned about Michael at the moment. "No problem. I'll go babysit Mikey until you get back."

Fiona closed her eyes and tilted her head back against the headrest, so tired and so grateful for his arrival at just the right time. "Thank you, Sam." She opened her eyes and looked at him, a smile in her blue-green depths. "After this is all over, you're getting something special. I don't know what, but after all you've done, you deserve a nice payback."

"I don't do this for any kind of reward, Fi. Mike is my friend. I'd do this for you too if you were sick and Mike needed help taking care of you." A horn blared behind him. "Well, I better get moving. I'll see you when you get back to the loft!" He waved and put on the gas, and Fiona put the car into drive and continued on her assignment.

She was grateful for Sam's assistance, but she didn't want him to have to put himself out for too long, so she hurried back as soon as she picked up the medicine and a few things that she thought might make Michael feel better. Fiona entered the loft with a small plastic bag and the sound of rustling turned Sam's head her way. He sat in the green chair near the bed reading, and Michael appeared to be sleeping.

Fiona tiptoed across the floor to the kitchen and put away the things she bought, then placed the two bottles of pills beside the others on the night stand. She removed the old prescriptions and tucked them into the bathroom medicine cabinet just in case. Then she returned to the kitchen, reached into the freezer, and pulled out something that she brought to Sam.

He looked up. "What is it?"

"A popsicle. I bought a bunch of them for Michael, but I thought you might want one."

"Sure. I haven't had one of these since I was a kid." Sam laughed. "Thanks, Fi."

"How's he doing?"

Sam dropped the book onto the table and stood. "Come on, let's talk out here." He beckoned her to the balcony with the wrapped frozen treat in his hand. He unwrapped it. "How'd you know, Fi? I always liked the orange ones." He grinned and nipped a little off the end.

"Well? How did he do when I was gone?" She unwrapped hers. It was grape. She sucked on the end of it as she listened to his report.

Sam leaned on the balcony rail as he sucked on his popsicle. He answered, "When I came in, I found him in a sweat and he was shaking. I took off the bedspread and he was fine after that. He threw up again, twice, but for the most part he's been sleeping. Mumbled something about you, but I didn't listen." He smiled and took another drag on his popsicle. "When he wakes up, I think he'll really enjoy these."

"I hope so. I'm so worried about him. If he keeps losing everything he takes in, he might wind up in the hospital again."

"Don't worry." He turned and looked at her with intent eyes. "He's not going anywhere unless it's absolutely necessary. We can take care of him here."

"We."

"Yeah. And I bet if you call Maddie, she'll run right over here and help out too." He'd been letting his popsicle drip on the pavement below, but he straightened and turned. "You can be sure that you're not by yourself in this, Fi." He pointed his popsicle at her. "So don't get all lone wolf on me, okay? Remember how that went with Mikey?"

Fiona laughed and looked up at him, smiling. "You're right. Maybe you need to just keep reminding me of that."

"I know you wanna take your vows all serious and everything, but there's being true to the in sickness and health stuff, and then there's extreme."

Fiona opened her mouth to say something, but Michael called out to her. She handed Sam her popsicle and went to attend to him.

It took a few days for Michael to adjust to the new medicine. With Fiona, Sam, and Maddie hovering over him in shifts, he was never alone or without assistance. It bothered him to have them all waiting on him hand and foot. He wasn't used to that and he didn't know how to accept it with grace. Fortunately, he was usually too sick to protest or get angry at them for their actions.

On day five after the new regimen, Michael woke up feeling better than he had in a couple of weeks. He remembered how this all started, how he had some flu like symptoms shortly after they returned from Panama. He brushed it off as fatigue. If he'd gone to the doctor back then... he probably would have been misdiagnosed. There was no point to what ifs. He'd learned that the hard way in dealing with his mom.

He heard Madeline's voice out on the balcony. She was talking to someone, but he didn't recognize the bass-like timbre, just assumed that it was a man. He glanced toward the squealing entry door and saw Fiona coming in from her morning run. He raised his head and gave her a smile, and he was pleased to see her smile back.

"Michael. Are you feeling better today?" She stepped up to his bedside and sat on the mattress.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, I've been pretty out of it for... how many days?"

"That's not important. You got a lot of rest. I told the doctor, and she said she would have been worried if you hadn't been so laid out. It would have meant the medicine wasn't working." She caressed the side of his face. "She wants to see you today if you can make it in."

"Another scan?" Fiona nodded and he let out an impatient breath. "Why can't they just wait another week?"

"She wants to be sure everything is going well." She glanced toward the open doors leading to the balcony and returned her attention to him. In a lowered voice, she said, "Don't worry about the cost, Michael. Your good health is worth any price!"

He saw the passion in her eyes and recognized the fire that blazed when they were in the middle of a fight. It meant she would spend every last cent and do whatever was necessary to make him well. That realization sent a wave of emotion crashing over him.

"How did I get so lucky to be with you, Fi?"

"I don't know. You better just be thanking God for your good fortune," she said in her brogue.

The couple heard footsteps, followed by Maddie's voice. "Michael! You're awake!" She approached with a wide grin and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, Ma. I... Virgil." His train of thought was derailed by the man standing in the doorway. "Ma, what's Virgil doing here?"

"Hey, Michael!" He waved "I've been helpin' yer Mama, and Fi and Sam take care of you."

"You called Virgil to help?"

"Well, no, but he came to visit and he's been here whenever I am."

Michael wasn't so sure he liked that. "Ma, you know being around him is dangerous."

"Not any more, Son. Nobody's gunnin' for me these days." He grinned and put his arms around Maddie's waist. "But if you're talkin' about me bein' dangerous in other ways..."

Maddie shrieked and laughed at the moves he made and the kisses he planted in the crook of her neck. Michael closed his eyes. He really didn't want to see that, didn't want to know what they were up to, and he was better off not knowing. He held up a weak arm, and through slitted eyes watched them settle down. "Could you please not do that? I don't want to get sick again."

"Oh, Michael!" Maddie leaned over and patted his cheek. "Virgil and I are going now. You behave yourself and get some more rest, and we'll see you tonight. I love you, baby." She kissed his cheek and she and Virgil walked out of the loft.

When the door closed, Michael let out a relieved breath.

Fiona stood with her hands on her hips and an embarrassed grin on her face. "Sorry, Michael. I was just as surprised as you when Virgil showed up. But he was great, helping when your fever rose and you got delirious... and violent. He and Sam took good care of you, and we didn't have to take you to the hospital." As she spoke, Fiona moved to the kitchen and returned with a small container. "Here, drink this. It'll help you get your strength back until you can eat something solid again. And if you keep that down, you can have a popsicle. If Sam and Virgil left any." She shook her head and went back to check the freezer. "Yes, you're in luck! There are still a few left."

"Great." Michael took a sip of the thick chocolatey nutrition supplement. He was never fond of such things, but at the moment he would have downed liquid barium if it would help.

"Maybe in a couple days you can go fishing with Sam and Virgil."

"But Virgil's not on my list," Michael protested.

Fiona sat on the edge of the bed, looked him straight in the eye and replied, "You owe him big time. You're going fishing with him and Sam if I have to kick your scrawny a..."

"Okay, okay!" Michael held up a weak hand. "If I'd known this list would cause so many problems, I wouldn't have made it. Jeez!"

"Oh, so marrying me was trouble." She stared down her nose at him, eyebrow cocked, daring him to weasel his way out of that one.

A wicked smile, one she hadn't seen on his face for quite some time, lit up his face. "It was trouble alright. Trouble of a good kind."

"You saved yourself there." She leaned over and kissed him. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and returned the kiss with amazing power for someone so weak. He left her breathless.

"There'll be more of that later, when we go to Paris." He whispered things in her ear that caused her to blush. Good thing no one else was around. Fiona threw herself onto the bed beside him and held him close for the first time in several days. He felt so good, and his body was cool, a normal temperature. She almost couldn't wait to take him to the doctor. She knew he was on the mend, and soon he would be back to normal.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks to my Tweeps for the ideas for Jesse. Anne, LeeLee, and Kris, you guys are the best!_

**Chapter 6**

"I've got good news for you, Michael, very good news!" Dr. Paige announced as she walked into the exam room. She held up two sheets of pictures, slivers of Michael's head arranged in neat rows on each one. "The MRI is showing the lesions are almost gone." She tacked the films up onto a light box and showed them the results. "This film on the left is from the last testing almost a week ago." She circled the areas with a capped pen. "And this film shows what you look like today. See?"

The spots were so small, they were nearly indistinguishable from other tissue. "Does this mean I'm cured?"

"I want you to switch back to the first meds I gave you and finish those off, but after that point I think we can safely say that yes, you're cured." Dr. Paige smiled. "We'll do one more scan at that time. I'd also like you to come in for some physical tests to check your reflexes, manual dexterity, stuff like that. Just to be sure there are no long-term effects."

"I could be impaired by this?"

"Not necessarily impaired, but some people have experienced weaknesses that they didn't have before. You'd probably want to know about those before you find out by surprise."

Michael nodded. "I agree. So... can I go back to my normal life now?"

Fiona glared at him. Dr. Paige noted the look as she replied. "No, not right away. If I were you, I'd take the opportunity to do some things you don't normally get to do in your busy life. In other words, enjoy some down time!"

As they walked to the car, Fiona couldn't wait to speak her mind. She held his hand and swung it between them as she nearly danced across the parking lot to her car. "Well, there you go. The doctor agrees that you need to have fun and not work for awhile."

"Yeah. I suppose I can finish up the list." He got into her car and was silent until they were almost home. "Fi, can we stop at my Mom's house?"

"Sure," she replied with a light in her eyes as she made the detour to Maddie's. "Do you want me to go in, or should I distract Virgil for awhile so you can talk to Madeline alone?"

"Distract Virgil. I won't be long." He got out when Fiona parked the car at the curb. Virgil was in the garage working on something, so Michael waved and evaded him as quickly as he could and entered the house.

Madeline felt the breeze stir and she turned around to find Michael behind her. She gasped in surprise, then smiled at him. "Hi, honey!" The sheet she was folding dropped into the basket on the floor and she reached for his shoulders and gave him a hug. He felt so thin under her embrace. It disturbed her, but she kept up a cheerful smile for her son. "Michael, it's so good to see you on your feet! How did the appointment go?"

He told her the good news. "I'm almost back to normal."

"I hope that by 'normal' you don't mean running off to get those other people." She picked up the sheet and finished folding it.

"Not for the time being. I've decided to finish my list. So... I wanted to make sure that things were good between us now."

"It still hurts how Nate is gone, but I don't hate you for what happened. I understand that it wasn't right for me to put that on your shoulders. God knows you do enough of that without anyone's help." She reached for his cheek with her hand and caressed it. "You always put too much on yourself." She changed the subject with a pat and turned back to folding laundry. "What's next on your list?"

"I still have to take Fi to Paris, but I'm saving that for later. I want to be completely healthy before we go, so we can do this right. I know Fi would rather see the sights with me than watch me lying sick in bed again." He smiled.

Maddie tilted her head and her face lit up. "I'm so proud of you, honey. The way you talked, it was like you were a normal person, not a spy. Keep it up, and you'll see how good it can be to let go now and then."

His smile took on the uncomfortable appearance that told her she'd rubbed it in too much. He chose to gloss over her statement and continued. "Well, the other thing on my list, I was hoping to take care of tomorrow. I have to call Sam first to see if he's free, but, since Virgil is here, maybe he can take us out tomorrow to go fishing?"

"Oh, he'd love that! Virgil!" Maddie yelled through the screen. Virgil and Fiona stuck their heads out of the garage. "Michael wants you to take him and Sam fishing tomorrow!"

A gigantic grin swept across Virgil's face. "Oh, it'd be my pleasure! Just let me know when, Michael, and we'll go!"

"I'll call Sam and see if it works for him, and then we'll set up the time." He dialed Sam.

"Hello, Mikey! How'd everything go at the Doc?"

Michael quickly explained what the doctor told him. "So I'm going to finish the list before I even consider going back to work."

"Congratulations, brother. You're finally becoming one of us. So, what else is on your list?"

"You." Before Sam could ask, Michael continued. "If you don't have anything pressing tomorrow, I'd like to go fishing with you. I've already told Virgil, and he's excited about taking us out for a day on his boat."

"That sounds great! What time? Just give me a time and I'll be there."

Michael smiled at the enthusiasm in his friend's tone. "I don't really know a whole lot about deep sea fishing and when is a good time to go."

"Depends on what you're fishing for. If we're just going out to do it, any time works." After discussing it some more, they set a time and agreed to meet at Virgil's boat.

Michael drove the Charger to the marina and got there early so he could watch the sun rise. He hadn't done anything like that in years. He just took for granted that every day the sun would rise, creep across the sky, and lower in the evening. A lot of sunrises and sunsets were lost because of his busy schedule and no time to focus on anything but the tiny picture in his life. Like his mother's friend Betty said, family was important. So were friends. Without the love of Fiona, Sam, Jesse, and his mother, and even, he had to admit, Virgil, he would have suffered alone in the hospital. Maybe he would have died without their care. He owed them all so much, and spending time with them was the least he could do.

"Morning, Mikey!"

He didn't have to turn around to know that was Sam. He turned anyway and watched his friend park in a space in the next row. He popped open the trunk and pulled out several rods and a tackle box and other gear. His hands were full. Michael slipped off the front of the Charger and went to help him.

"Jeez, you think you have enough stuff? Virgil said he had extra rods I could use."

"That's fine, but I like to fish with my own. I'm funny that way." Sam chuckled, and he gave his friend a good look from head to toe. "Wow, what a difference a day makes, huh? You're looking almost back to normal."

"I feel almost normal. Maybe after I've worked through this list I will be."

"Or you'll be a normal unlike any normal you've been before." Sam winked. "Come on, let's go fish!"

Michael realized as he enjoyed the day on the boat with Sam and Virgil that he'd never really spent time like this with his best friend. Either they were on a mission somewhere, or they were preparing for one. It occurred to him that the two were missing out on something precious. Michael savored every moment and let Sam and Virgil teach him the finer points of deep sea fishing. When he was a kid, in one of his father's sober moments Frank took Michael and Nate to the river's edge to fish, but he'd never done it out on the ocean. He also never learned how to fish correctly. By the end of the day, no doubt he would be an expert with two such capable teachers.

Unfortunately, Michael was so excited about being active again, he overdid it. In the late afternoon, as he sat in a chair on deck, he drifted off to sleep with his baseball cap pulled low on his face to avoid the harsh sun.

"Hey, Mike, you've got a bite," Sam warned. "It's a good one!" Sam turned when there was no response. "Mike? Mikey? You okay?" He immediately stuck his pole into its holder and turned on his heel toward Michael. "Virgil, can you take care of that for Mike?"

"Sure thing, Sammy."

Sam knelt down beside Michael's chair and looked underneath the cap. He lightly tapped his cheek and got a moan in response. Sam smiled. "He's wiped out, Virg. I think we better go back in and take him home. Fi's gonna kill us for letting him overdo it."

"What about Madeline?"

"Yeah, probably her too!" The two men put away the gear and Virgil pulled up the anchor before steering them back to the marina. "Hey, what happened to Mike's fish?"

"It broke the line." He turned off the engines and floated them into the slip. "It was a big one."

The boat docked and still Michael slept. "Virgil, how'd you get to the marina?"

"Maddie drove me, but I can take Mike's car to the house if you take him home to the loft."

"Oh yeah, let me suffer the wrath of Fi alone. Thanks a lot, Virg!"

"Sorry, Sammy. I can drive the car to the loft and call Madeline from there if you like."

"No, it's okay. I'll take him home myself." Sam prepared to pick Michael up, but at that moment, he awoke and looked up at Sam. "Hey, Mikey. Guess you had too much fun today!"

"Where are we? The marina? Did I fall asleep out there?" He looked disappointed, and his eyes wandered out to the sea.

"It's okay, Mike. We'll go again when you've got a little more stamina. I promise." Sam got under his arm and helped him to stand. "Virgil's gonna take your car, and I'll drive you home."

"No. No need."

"Yeah, there is a need. I'm not letting you drive groggy. Now, come on!"

Sam dropped off Michael, and he expected to get an earful from Fiona. Instead, she thanked him for giving his friend a good day and gently ushered him out so she could take care of her husband.

"You lived," Virgil said, leaning on the roof of the Charger.

"What are you doing here?"

Virgil grinned. "I figured I should just drop off Mike's car here. Can you give me a ride back to Maddie's? Maybe we can play some cards or something."

"That sounds like a good idea. Elsa's out of town for the next few days, so I'm on my own. It might be fun to hang out with you."

"Alright then! I'll just park this little honey and then we can go."

In the evening, Jesse stopped by the loft to check on Michael. Fiona was surprised to see him. "Jesse! I thought you were overseas on a job!"

"Yeah, my plane just landed a little while ago. I thought I'd stop by and see how Mike was doing."

"Jesse." Michael approached him with a smile around a spoonful of yogurt. "How'd your trip go?"

"Not as productive as I would have liked, but hey, it's great to see you vertical again, man. I take it you're not going to die any time soon?" His smile was tentative.

"Not unless I go out after Card and get shot or something." Michael dropped the empty yogurt container into the garbage can and drifted to the refrigerator. "You want anything?"

"I'm good, thanks. Just keep me up to date on what's happening. I wanna help."

Michael nodded. "Fortunately, Card must have gotten wind of my illness. He's laid off. No contact, and nobody's come after me while I've been down."

"I almost wish he had sent someone," Fiona said as she slipped around Michael and pulled a yogurt from the fridge. "It would have been a pleasure to put one right between their eyes if they so much as twitched their trigger finger."

"He's probably keeping an eye on me," Michael said, ignoring Fiona's short rant. "The minute I take up the chase again..."

"Let me know when that happens. My calendar is a little full for the next two weeks, but after that, it's negotiable."

"Thanks, Jesse." Michael's eyes locked onto his. "I don't know if I've ever said it..." He stopped himself, shook his head with a smile of regret on his face. Then he looked at Jesse again. "I know I've never said it. Thank you, Jesse. After I burned you, you had every right to kill me. Instead, you forgave me and became a really good friend, a great guy to have around in a pinch. For that, I'm grateful."

Jesse fidgeted. "Yeah, I wanted to kill you, but I'm glad I didn't." With a bashful smile, he added, "Working with you has been a real trip, Mike. And I've been honored to be part of the team. What happened, happened for a reason. That's the way I like to look at it."

"Thanks. I feel the same way." He glanced down at the bar that stood between them briefly, and he turned his attention back to Jesse. "Is there any way you'd consider quitting this job at the security firm and work with us full time? After I'm better, I'm done with the CIA."

"What about Card?"

"We'll get him, but maybe we need to back off, make him think I'm settling into a simple, more domestic life. He won't see me as a threat any more. In the meantime, we can be working in the back door and get enough on him to take him down."

"We'd need help for that."

Michael smiled. He crossed the room, pulled the folio from his night stand, and wrestled with some papers as he returned to the bar. He laid the folio on the surface and found what he sought. He held up a small piece of paper. "I want you to contact Pearce. I know she can help us, even from Mumbai."

Jesse mirrored Michael's smile. "I'll get a hold of her and see what we can do." He folded the paper and stuck it in his wallet. "Thanks, Mike."

"No problem." His smile widened.

"Well, I better get out of here and let you get some rest. I'll see what I can find and let you know."

After Jesse was gone, Fiona emerged from the bathroom dressed for bed. She gave him a warm, bordering on seductive smile and came around behind him, snaking her arms around his body. "That was really sweet what you did, Michael. Giving him Pearce's number."

"I know he was starting to have feelings for her. Card sending her off like that must have really hurt him."

Fiona turned Michael to face her, and he saw her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. "You saw that?"

"Yeah, of course, Fi. Who wouldn't?"

"Well, you were always so busy, I didn't think you noticed..."

Michael caressed the side of her face. The look he gave her sent shivers up her spine, shivers of love and desire. "Fi, I always see things. It's just that most times I choose to ignore them because I have business on my mind, or it's too... emotional for me to process." He kissed her. "I've cut myself off from feeling things for so long, because I thought it would make things easier. I cut myself off from getting involved in peoples' lives on an emotional level because I thought I was protecting them from danger. But it's a lonely existence, Fi." He blinked. "I can't do it anymore."

"Then don't." She extended herself on her toes and kissed him. His hands went around her and massaged her back. If he wasn't careful...

Fiona stepped back, and Michael matched her with his own feet. All the while he kissed her, he walked her backwards to the bed. Her calves stiffened as she touched the mattress. He whispered, "Fi, don't worry. I can do this." Then he let her down on the bed, lay her in the middle of the mattress, and enjoyed their first real night as a married couple.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Michael sat in a chair at the cafe table on the balcony, the candle on the surface his only source of light besides the light pollution coming from below and the city around him. The balcony vibrated slightly to the beat of the music from the club, but he barely noticed it after having lived there so long. Fiona slept peacefully for the first time in two weeks or more. He'd lost track of the time and how much he missed. He felt a little lost, like he'd stepped out of a time machine. The sense of disorientation dulled when he thought about how his illness gave him the chance to slow down and let people take care of him, after he'd spent so much time taking care of others and their problems.

He looked down at the folio resting on his crossed knee. With a pen he ran a line through everything he'd done. Only two things remained, and he smiled at the goal written at the top of the page. Take Fi to Paris. The plane was leaving in five hours, and he really should have tried to get some sleep, but he could easily catch a nap in flight. After all the sleeping he did while he was ill, it was hard to succumb. He considered adding things to his list, even though he knew he wasn't dying. In the end, he decided to leave it as is. As unpleasant as the illness was, it taught him a few things about life and that he shouldn't wait until he's dying to do the things he needed to do while living. The list was unnecessary as long as he kept this in mind. Michael was finally exhausted enough to go to sleep, so he turned his mind off pondering and went to bed. Fiona woke him a couple hours later.

"Come on, sleepyhead, get up. Get up!" She shoved him so hard, his body shifted into the night stand and he almost fell off the bed.

"What? What's going on?" He looked around through slitted eyes. It was still dark in the loft.

"It's time to get up and leave for the airport!" Fiona was giddy. He hadn't seen her like that in a long time, if ever. She knelt on the bed, bouncing. "Michael, I don't want to be late!"

"Ohh, just five more minutes, please." He rolled over, away from her.

"Michael!" She pounced on him and attacked his neck with kisses. Suddenly, she stopped and put a hand to his forehead. "Are you sick again?"

"No, I couldn't sleep until really late last night. Sam came by around two, and wished us a good trip..."

"At two a.m.?" She backed off and blew a lock of hair out of her face.

"He and Jesse were doing a job." Michael rolled to face her. "I think it was more than that, Fi. Something was bothering him. I don't know if it was a case, or what."

Fiona narrowed her eyes when she saw that familiar look in his. He was sniffing for action. She lifted a leg and straddled his hips, holding him down. "Michael Westen! You are not, I repeat!, not going to worry about Sam and Jesse's case while we're gone." With her finger she poked his chest. "You deserve this time off, and you will take full advantage of it. Do you hear me?"

Suddenly, Michael grinned and broke into laughter. "Have I ever told you that you look sexy when you're angry?" His hands came up behind her, pulled her flat on top of his body, and he kissed her deeply. She relaxed in his arms, and he broke away long enough to glance at the clock. He whispered. "Good thing we packed last night. We have a little time before we need to leave." And he intended to use every moment wisely.

A few hours later, Miami was long behind them and their airplane cruised over the Atlantic Ocean. They were half way to Paris, and when they arrived it would be night there. Michael almost couldn't wait to see the twinkling lights spread like a blanket of diamonds over the city. After checking in, he had plans for them. A late dinner, a walk along the Seine, and back to the hotel where they would nestle into the downy covers and make love and not come out until late in the morning the next day. He never used to think about things like that and relish the idea, but now, his body relaxed at the thought. Michael could almost feel his pulse slowing as he imagined how soothing it would be.

He should have been sleeping, but he was too excited, like a kid who knew he was going to Disney World the next day. That made him think of his mother. He'd crossed off reconciling with her because they'd done that to his and her satisfaction. Still, he felt like it wasn't enough. Fi had the perfect idea, and when they returned from their trip, after a few days to reorient themselves to Miami, he and Fiona would put the plan into action. Michael had a lot to be enthused about over the next few weeks, and none of it had to do with spying or a case. He'd never let real life take over like that, not since he became a spy. It blew him away.

"Fi?"

"Yes," she mumbled, opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Can't sleep?"

"Are you kidding? Can you?" He grinned.

The sight of his expression lit up her eyes and she smiled. She held his hand in hers and leaned against his arm. "You're really looking forward to this, aren't you?"

"I am. I wanted to ask you..." His face took on a serious expression as he continued. "Is this how normal people feel?"

Fioan's eyes widened. "Are you really that out of touch that you don't know how to react to a trip like this?"

"Apparently, I am." He laughed with a nervous tinge to the sound. "Whenever I've gone anywhere overseas, it's always been because of a job. This is the first time I've done it just because." He looked intently into her eyes. "I want you to show me what it's like to just go on vacation for fun. I've never done that."

Her eyes filled with pity. "Not even as a child?"

Shaking his head, he replied. "When I was a kid, vacations were supposed to be fun, but they usually melted down into shouting matches between my parents, or my dad brooded a good part of the time and was drunk. It was hardly ever fun."

"Michael." Fiona caressed his cheek with the lightest of touches. "I promise you, by the time we leave for home, you'll never see down time the same again."

"I like the sound of that." He smiled and turned in his seat toward her. He kissed her, moving his hands over her body to the point of it being dangerous on a plane nearly full of passengers.

Fiona pushed away, her lips tingling from his attentions. "You better behave yourself. We have three hours to go before we land." Despite her chiding, she was happy. "You really are getting the hang of this normal stuff, aren't you?"

He nodded and took her hand in his. "Fi, I want you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"If I ever lose sight of this, what we've had on this trip... remind me. Smack me upside the head. Do whatever you have to do to remind me of Paris."

"You've got a deal." She grinned.

In Paris, it was as if Michael had been caged up and suddenly been released. Every day he packed full of things to do and see with the same passion he spent on solving a case. It would have been scary for Fiona, except she saw that he was having the time of his life. He and Fiona took in the sights, the sounds, and the sensations of everything Paris had to offer. He was like a kid, light on his feet and excited about what was around the bend. Fiona fell in love with him all over again as she saw his exuberance unfold each day. He rented a car and took them to the countryside. There was no plan, no timetable. He just chose a road and they went. It was so unlike him. Fiona wondered if this was the same man she married. She hoped so, because she loved the Michael he was, and this new side of him even more so.

As they lay in bed on the last night of their stay, Fiona was sad to see it end. She'd been moody all day, trying not to think about that flight back home the next morning. Michael wrapped an arm around her, and she knew that he sensed her unease.

"Fi, it's okay. When we get back, I'm not going to turn into a pumpkin and return to the way I was. At least, not completely."

She let out a breath against his bare chest as she nestled deeper into his side. "I'm afraid you'll get so wrapped up in stopping Card and the people who still work with him."

"No, I won't. I'm keeping my ties to the agency long enough to get what we need to present to the higher ups. Then they can take care of things from that point." He kissed her forehead. "After that, I'm done. No more spy business."

"What will we do?"

His cheek raised against her hairline as he smiled. "I was thinking we could go work for Sam and Jesse."

She laughed. "Don't kid yourself. Those two are just biding their time until you get back. We'll be a team again, working for ourselves, as a team."

"Yeah. That's the way it should be." He pulled her up so her lips were level with his. "Like a team." Emotion choked his voice as he said, "I love you, Fi." Then he kissed her, and she dove into the deep with him until they were both exhausted enough to fall asleep.

Fiona found it quite amusing that she had to practically use a pry bar to get Michael out of bed the next morning. He enjoyed the feather pillows and goose down comforter so much, he didn't want to leave.

"Mmm, Fi, we have to get bedding like this." Michael wrapped himself in it and burrowed deep.

Fiona laughed and shook her head. "I promise, we'll try to duplicate what we had here. Now, get up, or we'll be late to the airport."

"Oh, what's the worst thing that could happen? We miss our flight, we catch the next one."

"Michael!" Now Fiona was getting worried about him. She leaned over and checked his forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"Oh, but I do." He reached behind her neck and pulled her down to kiss her lips. With a husky voice, he said, "I have a fever for you, Fiona."

She shrieked with surprise and laughter as he pulled her down on top of him. They wrestled and twisted until her clothes were wrinkled. "Michael, I'm going to look like a mess on that plane!"

By the time he was finished, she needn't have worried about her outfit. She selected another one from the packed suitcase, changed, and stole glances at the man who had changed so drastically. The doctor ran a battery of tests and nothing seemed to have changed, at least physically. Perhaps there were some psychological tests he needed to take, because this fun, flash-loving Michael was not who she thought she'd married. Not that she minded, really. It just made her wonder if this change was permanent, and if there were other residual affects that might negatively impact him.

The couple stood side by side as Michael closed the door on the suite that had been theirs for the past two weeks. He sighed heavily, and he felt her eyes dart to him.

"What?"

"What was that sigh for?" She still looked at him strangely.

A contented smile on his face, Michael replied. "This was probably the best two weeks of my life, Fi. Thank you, for showing me such a great time."

Her smile widened. "It was my pleasure. And knowing how much it meant to you makes it even more precious to me." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. When her lips finally fell away, she looked disappointed. "We have to leave now."

"I know."

A couple passed them in the hall with a bellhop carrying their bags, and the two eyed Michael and Fiona as they kissed.

"There's magic in that room," Michael explained with a grin and pointed to the door. Then he grabbed Fiona's hand and pulled the suitcase down the hall. She took the other bag, and they began their trek back to Miami and real life. Michael silently vowed that they would take home a little bit of that magic and keep it alive.

Fiona silently vowed that she would do whatever she could to keep this new piece of Michael alive and thriving. She knew it would be a challenge if he changed his mind and went back to a life of spying. It meant she would need to work extra hard to make sure he didn't go back to the obsessive, harried man that he used to be. She never would have thought that getting ill was the best thing that could have happened to him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Careful up there, Sam. We don't need anybody breaking their neck right before Michael and Fiona get home."

"Yeah, Ma." Sam teased as he glanced down at Madeline. She stood at the foot of the scaffold with her cigarette smoldering. If Mike knew she was smoking in the loft... "Maybe you better hold off on the cancer sticks there, Maddie. It'll take an hour just to clear the smoke as it is, and you know Mikey's going to smell it even if the air is clear."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. I'm nervous! We haven't heard from them in two weeks. Maybe something happened to them over there. Maybe someone killed them!" As her voice rose, so did her hand waving around, the cigarette creating ribbons of smoke in the air.

Sam descended the scaffold and restrained himself from touching her with his paint-smeared hands. "Trust me, Mike is fine."

"How do you know?"

"I texted him once a couple days ago just to get his return time and date. You know what he texted back?" Maddie shook her head. "In all caps, he said 'Leave me alone!'." Sam laughed. "He's getting the hang of this recuperation thing." Sam set the paint tray and supplies on a bench.

Maddie took a puff and let out a cloud of smoke before stubbing out the cigarette. "I'll be so glad when Michael and Fiona are home. This waiting is driving me crazy."

The door opened with a squeal to announce Virgil's arrival. "Hey, Virg."

"You all done, Sammy?"

"Yeah. We've gotta get that thing out of here before Mike and Fi come back." Sam passed him on the way to the fridge. "And you might wanna do something about Maddie. She's turning into a basket case." He reached into the fridge and took out three beers.

"Thanks, Sam." Virgil picked up one and twisted off the top. He leaned an elbow on the bar and looked around the open room. "Maddie, you did a great job." The place was spotless from top to bottom. "And Sammy, I think you missed a spot up there." He pointed to where the wall and ceiling met.

Sam gave him a disgusted look. "Baloney." He took another swig of his beer. "I better get these brushes and things cleaned up, and then we'll disassemble the scaffold."

"Sounds like a plan. I brought the truck." He smiled. "It still runs."

After Sam cleaned the brushes, roller and paint tray, he and Virgil took their beers over to the scaffold and began to take it apart while Maddie surveyed the last section of wall that Sam painted that morning. Ever since Michael moved in, the walls were painted a dark reddish brown up to a certain point and from there to the ceiling the ugly pastel blue green reminded her of a hospital. She lost count of how many five gallon buckets of paint Sam brought in, and he and Virgil finished the walls. The ceiling itself was a dingy white. Unfortunately, it would have to wait for another time.

When she did her part and cleaned, Maddie rearranged a few things to open up the space more. Hopefully, Fiona wouldn't mind, since she only wanted to help make their home a little cheerier. The new bed would help. Instead of the two mattresses sitting directly on the floor, the large dark frame with carved head and footboards became the showpiece in the room. It blended well with Fiona's furniture, but clashed a little with the eclectic mess Michael inherited with the loft rental. That too would take time to change.

"I wish they would get here," she said.

"Shh, darlin'. The plane lands in an hour if it's on time, and then they've gotta get their stuff. It'll be a little while yet." Virgil put his arm around her. "Maybe we should all go get some lunch or something to pass the time? We don't really wanna be here when they get home, do we?"

"Of course we do! I want to see how they react to the changes." She smiled. "It was so good to be able to do this for them. To make up, in a small way, for what I said and did."

"Honey, that's over and done with, and Michael has forgiven you, you've forgiven him, and that's it. You can't waste your time dwelling on the past. Look forward to the future."

She looked up into his eyes and hers sparkled. "Have you been looking toward the future?"

He grinned, surrounded her with his arm, and pulled her close for a kiss. "I've been counting the days, sweetheart."

The scaffold, painting supplies and tarps were put into the back of Virgil's old pickup truck to take the scaffold back to the rental store. If timed right, the men wouldn't miss Michael and Fiona's return. Maddie waited alone just in case the couple came back while Sam and Virgil were gone, and she could get her wish to see the couple's reaction to the makeover.

In deference to Sam's requests, Maddie took her smoking out to the balcony. She was down to one cigarette in her pack when the door squealed. Something banged against the metal door and Maddie turned to see Michael and Fiona enter the loft.

"Sam wouldn't leave the door unlocked," Fiona said, and she stopped speaking when she noticed Michael's attention on someone else in the loft. "Madeline? What are you doing here?"

"Welcome home," she called across the open space and held her arms wide. She and Fiona embraced, and Michael came forward to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Ma, you didn't have to be here when we got home." Michael sniffed the air. Besides the acrid smell of smoke, he noticed something else. "Paint." He looked around at the walls. They were touched up when Fiona moved in, so he wasn't sure what could be the source.

Maddie grinned and pointed toward the ceiling. "Michael, look up."

The couple glanced up to where the ugly paint was covered by a shade that matched the lower half of the walls. "Wow. It looks great, Ma."

"You can thank Sam and Virgil for putting in a lot of work. They're taking the equipment back to the rental place, and after that, we were getting together with Elsa for dinner. Of course, you're both invited. I can't wait to hear how things went in Paris." Maddie smiled.

"That's good, because I can hardly wait to tell you what a fabulous time we had," Fiona said with a grin.

Fiona's face glowed, and it made Maddie's heart glad to see her son and daughter-in-law so happy. Both looked well rested. Yet she couldn't help but wonder when he would go back to work and everything would return to normal. She didn't like that thought at all. Her eyes met Michael's and she tried to keep up a cheerful front, but the way his eyes bored into hers, it was if he knew what she was thinking.

"This is great that we can all have dinner together, talk about our trip to Paris, and what we have planned next," Michael said and ended with a smile. "Something special for you, Ma."

Her eyebrow rose. "Really? Can you give me a hint?"

Michael chuckled. "No, but I know you'll really like it." He turned his head toward Fiona. "We should probably get unpacked and get dressed for dinner."

"Oh, no need to dress up! You're fine as you are." Maddie smiled. "Michael, it's so good to see you, and see you looking so relaxed and happy. I haven't seen that in a long time."

She impulsively reached for him and gave him a hug. It warmed her when he put his arms around her, rested his cheek on her head, and returned the embrace. It reassured her that the rift that Nate's death created was now healed. Michael's illness helped mend them back together even better than before. Now, if only he would settle down and have some kids, but she knew that was pushing it.

The three couples assembled at a table with a view of the ocean. Michael faced it directly. Until he saw it again in living color, he didn't realize how much he missed it. He watched the happy faces around the table, laughing and talking, enjoying each other's company on a level he wasn't accustomed to. He was even starting to feel better about Virgil. When he saw how the man treated his mother, it was obvious he loved her. The feeling was mutual. The light in her eyes when he said something that made her laugh could have illuminated a dark room all by itself.

"Michael, you're so quiet." Fiona looked deeply into his eyes. "Are you okay?"

The widest smile crossed his face. "Never better, Fi." He grabbed his wine glass and raised it. He tapped against it with a knife to get everyone's attention, and when all eyes were on him, he spoke. "I just want to make a toast to my family," he nodded to Maddie, "and my friends. I don't think I would have made it through this without you, and I want to thank you for your kindness and love. I learned a lot from this experience, and I have all of you to thank for it." He paused and his gaze settled on Virgil. "Even you."

Everyone laughed, clinked glasses and drank.

"Still don't completely trust me with your Mama, is that it?" Virgil asked across the table. The others stopped talking and focused on Michael and Virgil.

Michael set down his glass and spread the napkin on his lap. "Like I said, as long as you're not in any trouble and no one is after you, I have no problem with you seeing my Ma."

"Oh, good!" Maddie exclaimed with a bright smile. She settled deeper into Virgil's arm wrapped around her shoulders and looked up at him. "That means you can settle in here."

"Settle in... what are you saying?" Michael's face showed his incomprehension.

Maddie turned to Michael with a satisfied look on her face. "Virgil is going to stay with me at the house, until we decide if, and when, we want to get married."

Good thing Michael had set his glass down, or he would have dropped it. "You're moving in?"

Virgil's mouth twitched and he glanced at Maddie. "It's okay with Madeline."

"Yes, it's okay with me. Michael, you have your happiness. Isn't it about time I had mine?" Her eyes dared him to challenge her. In the past, he would have and the evening would have ended on a sour note. She waited with held breath for the fight to begin.

Michael sat back in his seat and forced his nerves to settle down. It wasn't like they were getting married for sure. They were engaged, sort of. "Okay, Ma. You're right, you should have your chance at happiness." He said it with a restrained smile. Then he leaned forward to look past her at Virgil. He pointed and said, "But if you make her unhappy and miserable, I swear..."

"I think he gets the idea, Mike." Sam broke in. "Now that that's straightened out, anything else anybody wants to work out?"

Fiona spoke up. "Well, Michael and I have one thing to talk about. He has one more item on his list that he didn't do yet, and if he's going to move on, it needs to be done."

Everyone sat forward in their seats, waiting to hear what it was. "It's nothing spectacular, really. I just wanted to take you, Ma, to Disney World. I want you to have that happy family vacation that we never had when Nate and I were kids."

Maddie was dumbstruck. The idea swelled in her head and her eyes filled with tears. If only Nate could be with them. It would be a bittersweet vacation, but maybe it could also be a new start to a brighter future. "I'd love to, Michael. Can Virgil come along?"

Without hesitation, which surprised everyone at the table, he answered. "Yes. And Fiona will be with us." He turned toward Sam and Elsa. "If you two would like to come along, the more the merrier."

"What about Jesse," Maddie asked. "He's family, too!"

This was going to get expensive if he and Fiona treated everyone. "Jesse too."

"If you're worried about the expense, we can rent a house on site," Elsa said. She smiled. "Let me pull some strings and I can get us an insane deal on the house and admission to all the parks. I have connections, you know." She winked at Michael, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Elsa."

"It helps to have connections," Sam said with a grin.

"Indeed it does." Michael raised his glass again in agreement. "To family, the best connection of all."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Michael lay his head on the pillow and let out a deep breath. He couldn't remember the last time he was this tired, at least not before he got sick. Who would have known that he, a guy in good shape, would have trouble keeping up with his mother and Virgil? The second they crossed the turnstiles at the Magic Kingdom, it was like a boatload of Tikerbell's pixie dust fell on them and transformed the couple into kids. He and Fiona watched with Sam and Elsa and Jesse as the older couple practically skipped down Main Street.

"Hey Ma, you wanna hold it up there?"

"But Michael, the teacups are waiting!" She grinned so wide, he thought her face would split in two. She swung Virgil's hand in hers and his grin almost matched.

Michael gave Sam a look, and Sam shrugged. He warned Michael about Maddie's love for the teacups. The last time Sam had to get her out of Miami he took her to this magical place and endured three rounds with her. He lost a few pounds that day, just because he was afraid to eat anything and lose it on the ride.

"Hey Mike, I think we need one of those harnesses for your Ma," Jesse teased as he laughed.

"I think it's wonderful that she's so happy," Fiona proclaimed. She released Michael's hand and trotted the few steps to catch up to Maddie.

"I do too. You guys just don't get it." Elsa broke away from Sam and joined the other two women.

"Okay, I need to go back to the car."

Michael asked, concerned. "Why, what's wrong, Sam?"

"Look! That's not the same woman I arrived with."

"I think I just got pushed out to hang with you guys," Virgil said as he fell into step next to Sam. "I'm telling you boys, there's something strange about this place. It just affects some people more than others."

Up ahead, the women formed a line, linked arm in arm, chattering away and having the time of their lives. The men stayed back a few paces and watched the female bonding take shape through most of the day.

But those teacups... Maddie insisted that Michael ride at least once with her. "You remember how much you loved these, don't you, Michael?"

He grimaced, because he didn't remember any such thing. But in order to appease her, he lied. "Yeah, Ma. But things are different now."

"Oh, good heavens, just ride once with your Ma. How hard can it be," Virgil said.

"Fine. But you're going along, and you'll see. Fi?"

Everyone looked at Fiona as she bit the side of her mouth, debating with herself. She locked on Maddie's pleading eyes. For some reason, this meant a lot to her. "Okay, I'll go."

"Oh good!" Maddie's eyes sparkled as she clapped like a little kid. "Let's get in line!"

"Sam?" Michael turned toward his friend.

"We'll take a different cup," Sam answered. He pulled Elsa to his side and glanced at Jesse who nodded in agreement. He heard the stories. Jesse knew how dangerous it was to be in a teacup with Maddie.

Everyone made it on the same round. Maddie apparently had a favorite teacup, because as soon as the gate opened, she rushed for it on the other side of the turntable. She got in and bounced in her seat, waved her arm and yelled, "Over here!"

The cup, if left alone, would spin on its axis, but Maddie took control of the wheel, turning it into a ride only the Mad Hatter would have enjoyed. Just one round and Michael had enough for another lifetime. Fiona looked green and teetered on her wedge sandals as she stumbled out of the giant cup.

To their surprise, Virgil grinned and said, "Hey, I could do that again! That was fun!"

"Maybe later, Virg. There's a lot more to see." Michael took Fiona by the arm and helped her get her bearings as they exited the ride.

The rest of the day they flew with Aladdin, endured a small world, met some pirates who were hardly scary to Michael and the team, and blasted off into space. Some time in the morning Maddie bought pink mouse ears for the girls with their names on the sparkly caps. Elsa gave Sam a look and her cheeks flushed as she put on the ears. She was all for having fun, but walking around looking silly wasn't exactly high on her list of great ideas.

Michael heard Sam whisper something to her. He didn't know what it was, but later when they were seated at a table for lunch and the women flocked to the bathroom together, he asked. "Sam, what'd you say to Elsa to get her to wear those ears?"

"I just said, 'Just pretend like she's your mom. Would you have done this for her?'" He smiled. "It worked. She's still not thrilled with 'em, but I told her she wouldn't have to wear them tomorrow."

"Thanks, Sam. You know that means a lot to my Ma."

"I know. Maddie means a lot to me. She's like my Ma." He paused, took a sip from his iced tea and asked, "Has this trip been everything you hoped for?"

"I wasn't doing it for me. I was doing it for her."

Sam met his eyes, and his own crinkled with his smile. "Yeah, but you're having fun, aren't you. Admit it."

A slow smile creased his face and he nodded. "It's a lot more fun than it was when we went with my dad."

"That's good. I was hoping this would be special for everyone," Virgil said with a contented look on his face and his eyes staring off into the crowd. The men followed his gaze and saw the three women coming back to the table. In an airy tone, Virgil mumbled, "Isn't she just the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

Sam smiled and looked at Michael. When Michael met his look, Sam mouthed, "Step-dad."

Michael shook his head vigorously.

Sam nodded. He leaned closer and muttered, "Just wait, Mikey."

Michael hated when Sam was right. Virgil must have had it planned before the trip. He just needed the right time and place, and Michael unwittingly aided and abetted his plan. After a full day at the park, the group returned to the villa and changed for dinner. Elsa made reservations at one of the nicer restaurants in the area. It was situated on a river walk, which the couples traversed after a five course meal. Jesse begged out and went back to the villa on his own.

Sam and Elsa veered off in a different direction and Michael and Fiona walked far behind to let Virgil and Maddie have their space. The two stopped for a coffee at a cafe and watched the people pass by, mostly couples, with few children out at that hour.

"It feels good to get off our feet," Fiona said. "Your mother is something else."

"Virgil too. I never thought he'd be so... so..." He couldn't find the words.

"Childlike," Fiona provided for him with a grin. "It was invigorating to see them having fun and so in love." She rested her elbows on the table and stacked her hands to place her chin on them as she sighed. "It was so sweet." A dark shadow fell across Michael's expression. "I know you don't like him, but your mother does, so you better just get used to it."

"What is so great about Virgil?" Michael lightly slapped the table surface.

"What is so great about Virgil. Let's look at that, shall we?" Fiona unfolded her hands and ticked off each feature on the fingers of one hand. "He's sweet. He's attentive. He wants to do nothing more than make your mother happy. He's..."

Michael held up a hand to stop her. "Okay, okay, he's a romantic, I get it. But I'm afraid when he's with her, Fi. He's been in trouble before, gotten into stuff that he shouldn't have."

"Oh, not like anyone I know at this table has ever done that."

He gave her a sour look. Then his face changed, and he chuckled. "You know how parents are always concerned about the dates their kids bring home?" Fiona nodded. "Now the shoe is on the other foot. It's weird."

"Not at all. You love her, and you only want what's best for her. Like she wants for you." Fiona reached across the small table and took his hand. "Now that she's happy with your choice, maybe it's time for you to be happy with hers. You have to admit, based on what little you've told me about your Dad, Virgil is a lot better for her than he ever was."

"You're right." Michael nodded. His eyes wandered toward the river boardwalk. Two figures stood against the railing, a man and a woman. His mother and Virgil. She faced away from them, but the light in Virgil's eyes told Michael everything he needed to know. Virgil pulled something from his pocket, a small box. Michael closed his eyes for a moment.

"Michael, what is it?" She turned her head and saw the couple. Her breath sucked in. "He's... he's asking her..."

"The big question. Yeah." He opened his eyes. Maddie's hands clutched together at her heart and she held up the left one. As she did so, she knocked into the box that Virgil was ready to open to take out the ring.

Michael and Fiona gasped as the box went flying over the rail and into the water.

"Oh no! Michael!"

Before anyone could move, Virgil climbed over the rail and jumped into the water feet first. Thankfully, it was only waist deep, but he ducked down beneath the dark water. Maddie stood hanging onto the rail, her brow knit, concentrating on the water below to avoid looking anyone in the eye. Fiona got out of her seat to go comfort her. Michael followed, unsure of what to do. The three waited for a couple of minutes, but Virgil had not surfaced.

"Michael, please, do something!" Maddie cried. "What if he's drowning? It's all my fault!"

"It's okay, Ma. Virgil's good at holding his breath a long time."

"Hey Mike, whatcha looking at," Sam asked. He and Elsa stepped up to the railing and looked down at the gentle waves on the surface.

"Virgil tried to propose to me and I knocked the ring into the water," Madeline cried.

Fiona and Elsa, in bonded sisterhood with Madeline, flanked her and each one put an arm around her. At that moment, everyone heard a gasp for air and splashing.

"I found it, darlin!" Virgil had the biggest, silliest grin on his face as water dripped from the hand raised high with the box firmly grasped in his fingers. Rivulets ran from his head down his soaking clothes. "Hey, you fellas wanna give me a hand up?"

Michael and Sam reached for him and helped him over the rail, trying not to get wet themselves.

"Thanks, fellas." Virgil's feet hit the pavement, and then he got down on one knee before Maddie, oblivious to the small crowd that had formed. "Now, where was I?" He pulled open the box and the ring lay in the soggy velvet and sparkled under the old fashioned streetlamps. "I know I already asked this, but it was so fun seeing your reaction the first time, I'll ask again. Madeline Westen, will you marry me?"

Maddie laughed and cried at the same time as she said, "Yes, Virgil, I will!"

"Alright!" He pulled the ring from the box, dropped it on the ground, and worked the ring over her ring finger. It was a little tight, but once he passed the knuckle, it fit perfectly. He got up and his knee cracked. "Good thing I only had to do that part once. I'm getting too old for that sort of thing!"

The couple embraced and kissed while the crowd cheered and clapped, and after things died down, the group went to the ice cream parlor nearby to celebrate.

Now, lying in bed, Michael felt the full effect of the day's events on his body. He apparently had some more recovering to do to get his full strength back. Tomorrow would be better. He couldn't let a couple at least twenty years his senior beat him.

Fiona turned to fit up against him and placed a hand over his heart. In a sleepy voice she said, "It was a beautiful day, wasn't it?"

"It was." In the dark he smiled. "I think tomorrow will be even better."

"So do I. It feels good to enjoy life and not worry about how much time we have left." She fell asleep on that thought.

Michael had to agree. But he would never forget how counting the days felt like living on the edge. He'd done it so many times he was used to it, but this was a new sensation. Knowing he could very well have lost everything he loved caused an ache deep inside. He gained it all back and more, and vowed that with the time he had left, however long that might be, he would appreciate his family, his wife, his friends, and his life. Not having the CIA and the burn notice on his back would help. After they returned to Miami, the team would begin that mission. He almost couldn't wait.


End file.
